Project Freelancer: California Chronicles
by CAPTAINPRICE79
Summary: A story about MY version of Agent California, an Agent created on the RvB Fanon Wiki sight. Join her and her brother James as they traverse the world of the RvB universe where they meet friends, enemies, and maybe even lovers. Orgional fic: /works/3656244/chapters/8078883 ((Finished))
1. Introduction

**Hey guys Price here and this is the prologue to the California Chronicles, part one of the Project Freelancer story arc. I decided to do this fanfiction after I read one about Agent California, who was created as a male in dark grey armor on the RvB Fanon Wiki under the Create a Freelancer RP, however California will be female and the sister of another well known Freelancer. I know that this means I now have three to write, but DONT WORRY! I am working on the other two, and am almost done with an update for both, I promise...as of writing this anyway. Yes I am not ashamed to admit I am using the excuse of three fanfictions at once to have big time gaps but this really is because I just have a few ideas I want written since I don't want to forget them...although the time gap is an added bonus. Also, this is my** ** _OWN_** **version of California, although there will be some similarities, and I shall link the origional in the first entry, as this is what I will call the chapters.**

"My name is Project Freelancer Agent #31, also known as Agent California, but my friends call me Cali. This entry journal series was suggested to me when I first joined Project Freelancer by my brother, James. Also known as Project Freelancer Agent #11, or Agent New York, but he prefers just York. He said it would give him, our family, and any friends I made at Project Freelancer to remember me by if I died in the field. Another reason I agreed is to tell my story to anyone who finds this.

-Huge time gap to be explained in later chapter-

"This is ex-Project Freelancer Agent #31 signing off...forever."

"Hey new girl! Get in here!"

"Yes Sarge!"

-(Beginning of story)-

The day began as normal. She woke up, dressed, ate breakfast, then went to the gym to workout a little before work.

She arrived at the gym two minutes later. ' _God I love morning traffick'_ she thought, smiling. She signed in, then went to the weights section to find her brother James, who was lifting bench weights while a woman in bright cyan, aqua, or whatever color it was, shirt, pants, and shoes, although the shirt was a little tight looking.

"Hey James." She said, slapping the seat next to his head, making him drop the weight on his chest, where it rolled onto his neck.

"Hnghhhhhhhhhh." Was all James could produce with the weight crushing his windpipe.

"Quit being a baby." She said, moving to grab the weight when she was shoved aside by that woman, who grabbed the weight and lifted it off James' neck with ease. "Hey!"

"You got a problem?" The woman asked, her bright green eyes, red hair, and heavy but not highly evident freckles on her face.

"Yeah. You don't just shove peoole who are trying to lift a weight off their brother's neck!" She responded, getting nose to nose with the other woman.

"Girls, girls, relax. I'm perfectly fine." James said, standing up and between them.

"James, please move so I can kick your sister's a-"

"No one is fighting. At least not in here." James said, the other woman obviously angry, but used to working for her accoplishments.

"James, who is this!" His sister asked, trading her threatening posture with just crossing her arms and titling her head.

"This is that woman I told you I met last night." He said, his sister smiling lightly and also a little mischievously. "You know I hate that smile."

"Really? Well, can't say I'm surprised, never could get a looker to sleep with you." She said, meaning the woman, not the smile, which she still carried.

"I never said she did!"

"What are you talking about?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, it is the only reason he ever goes to club Ererra." His sister explained, making James look at her.

"Sometimes I think we're not even remotely related."

"Oh really?" The woman asked, meaning the club part.

"Uh...which answer gets me not killed?" He asked, raising an eye brow questioningly.

"The truth, depending on which one it is."

"It was one time." He said, obviously used to his sister saying that.

The woman just stood there for a few seconds before grabbing both and pulling them out the door and outside, where a car pulled up.

"In." She said, pushing them in the open back door.

"Wait, where are we going?" James asked, obviously confused.

"My question exactly." Another voice said, a window rolling down to reveal an African American man, whose deep, calm, almost soothing voice made James' sister almost forget the situation.

"Just circle around the block Aiden." The woman said, turning to look at him before turning back around.

"I have a proposal for the two of you." She said, lacing her fingers like this was some sort of weird job interview.

"So, what is it?" James asked, tilting his head a little more.

"The military has given jurisdiction to create a new program to make super soldiers in an effort to help win the war. I was wondering if you two would like to join." The woman said, stating a fact, not a question.

"I can understand James...but why me?" His sister asked, confused.

"I like your attitude." Was the reply, James' sister nodding.

"I see. Thanks...I guess."

"It was a compliment."

"Quick question, what is the program called?" James asked, intrigued.

"Project Freelancer."

The brother and sister duo looked at each other before looking back, agreeing simultaneously. "...We're in."

 **So that was the introduction to Project Freelancer:California Chronicles. Tell me what you thought about it, and I will improve if you guys tell me I need to. This fanfiction was origionally going to be called Failure. Failure was going to be about my thoughts on how Allison died, where she became a byproduct of Alpha's creation, making Beta/Texas. Also, do not be afraid to point out any spelling mistakes and or grammar mistakes. This was written hastily so there are bound to be some.**


	2. Chapter 1:Project Freelancer Part I

**Hey guys Price here and welcome to chapter 2 of the California Chronicles! I managed to find a free writing app that has a word count for my iPad so I can now write on this. This means I can now continue my stories without a computer...although I'll be happier when I get Pages, I will take what I can get right now. Anyway, I hope you like it, and I have a special surprise in the end note. Also, I changed this story DRASTICALLY compared to the original draft that I will upload when I get the computer it is on to work. Now. Onto the story!**

"My name is Project Freelancer Agent #41, also known as Agent California, but my friends call me Cali. This entry journal series was suggested to me when I first joined Project Freelancer by my brother, James. Also known as Project Freelancer Agent #11, or Agent New York, but he prefers just York. He said it would give him, our family, and any friends I made at Project Freelancer to remember me by if I died in the field. Another reason I agreed is to tell my story to anyone who finds this. It started out as a woman my bro met at some place called Club Ererra. The next day, we were at the gym when the same woman came up and, after a...HEATED argument, she dragged us out the door and asked us if we wanted to join this new super soldier experiment. We accepted, naturally, I mean, who doesn't want to wear Mjonlir...they never told us about the augmentations. They knew we would all leave if they did. Now, onto the REAL thing. This is the story of why I need to kill _her_.

-Not as huge time gap to be explained in later chapter-

"This is ex-Project Freelancer Agent #41 signing off...forever."

"Hey new girl! Get in here!"

"Yes Sarge!"

-(Beginning of story)-

James and his sis were in a shuttle somewhere in the Eridanus star system, waiting for it to arrive at their destination. The shuttle was a heavily modified D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship, used to move valuable cargo and other assets from one place to another. Instead of the normal red lighting of a military Pelican, the lighting was a white light, like one you would expect to find in a building. While this gave the duo better lighting to see things, it also got annoying when they wanted to sleep. One such instance was when James had fallen asleep with a helmet he'd borrowed from the pilot on his head, the visor polarized to it's highest level. He had, much to his sister's amusement, swatted at something in his dream, and his brain carried the signals to his real arm, and he had knocked the helmet off when he had jumped in surprise when he swatted, like he had tried to hit something, but been startled at the same time. This caused the helmet to fall off, and, as James tended to sometimes sleep with his eyes open, his eyes had been burned for a little while.

"I spy with my little eye, something...brown." James said, having played this game for the past four hours, he was getting bored _and_ running out of things to find.

"A rat." His sister said, playing on his fear of rats and mice due to a... _complicated_ series of events that lead to a dead rat and mouse in practically _everything_ of his, including his favorite snacks, food, cereal, drinks, shoes, and, somehow, in his toothpaste and deodorant tubes.

"A rat? Where?!" He shouted, pulling his feet off the ground and looking around.

"No where, I was just joking." She responded, rolling her eyes and sighing.

"You know I hate rats...and mice. You also know why. So why in God's name would you joke about that?" He asked, standing up and walking over to her.

"I'm sorry, I just said the first thing that came to mind when you said brown." She said, looking away and out the window. "Oh my God." She said, James walking to his seat and sitting down. "James we're there."

"It better not be another stupid joke." He said, obviously used to this.

"I'm serious. It's called the Mother of Invention." She said, James walking over and peering out her window.

"Oh my God your telling the truth." He said, jokingly jabbing at her by reminding her she used to lie...like _all_ the time when she was younger.

"Hm. Don't act so surprised." She said sarcastically, shaking her head. "It's big."

"It's not about how big something is, it's how you use it." James said, making his sister roll his eyes.

"You say that every time someone says something about size." She said, looking at him in partial shame.

"That's not true!" He said, standing in the middle of the ship. "And don't look at me like that."

"Duck." She said, earning a confused glance from James before a rogue box flew out of nowhere and hit him in the head, knocking him out.

"Hey pilot?" She said, walking into the cockpit.

"Yeah?" The pilot asked, looking at her, her visor blocking her face.

"You tied down all cargo right?" She questioned, earning a depolarizing of the pilot's visor.

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just that a random box came from nowhere and knocked my brother out." She said, the pilot looking at her like she was drunk, high, or some other crazy thing she would never be of her own free will.

"You're joking right?"

"No."

This answer led to an awkward silence between them.

"Well, I guess you'll have to help him. I am busy piloting this thing." The pilot said, looking back out the view screen.

"I don't know anything related to medicinal care at all!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms out wide, hitting her hands on the wall. "Ow. Other than the basic band-aid for small cuts of course."

The pilot just looked at her, clearly not understanding how that was possible.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing." The pilot answered, turning back and checking her course. "This is going to be fun." The pilot muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

Upon arriving at the Mother of Invention with no more interesting events occurring, they were immediately ushered to a large room where there were fourty-eight other men and women who were waiting for their assignments.

James and his sister immediately stood at attention, their arms straight by their sides and their faces steadfast.

"Check out the bots." James' sister heard someone whisper, her peripheral vision already finding him and checking him out for weaknesses she could use.

"Don't do it sis." James said, his mouth barely moving, his voice almost a whisper.

"Too late." She said, stepping backward and disappearing into the people behind her, the man who had spoke moving towards the center of the mass of people, hoping to break her line of sight. No such luck.

She came in from behind, kicking the back of his knee, then kicking him in the back, sending him skidding across the floor.

"Recruits 25 and 31, stand down!" A loud voice spoke, startling everyone, including James' sister. "You will get your chance to fight later! For now, stand at opposite ends of this room, and report to the councillor after this meeting is over!" The man, an either somewhat elderly man, or a very, very stressed man.

"Sir yes sir!" She said, saluting and walking back to her brother, the other recruit walking to the opposite side of the crowd, muttering something about her, her brother, and robots. Most likely calling them robots for how strict and regulated they acted.

"I hate that guy." She said, not even looking at James.

"Agreed."

She sighed, the man on the raised platform finally getting ready.

"Welcome to your new homes for the next few years, or months depending on whether you make it or not." The man said, the crowd murmuring to each other about what he could mean. "My name is Leonard Church, but you will call me the Director. At least the ones who make it will." The man, now identified as the Director, then turned and walked out, the man named Aiden stepping forward.

"Agents 25 and 31, please go to room 203 on B-Deck,and I shall meet you there." He said, reading off his tablet, James' sister and the other man walking away from the main group, James' sister saluting before walking away.

After arriving at the room, Aiden somehow getting there before them, even though she and the other man, named John, had full out sprinted in a little race to see who would get there first, James' sister even jumping off a higher walkway onto John's back, placing her feet to merely knock him down instead of killing or paralyzing him. She even waited for him, feeling bad about knocking him out cold for a few minutes.

Other than that, there was no way he could have gotten ahead of them.

"How did you beat us here exactly?" John asked, confused.

"I took the elevator." Aiden answered, John and James' sister looking at each other, both confused.

"There's an elevator?" John asked, shrugging. "Hm."

"Yes. Now, onto why we're here. Why did she attack you, John?" Aiden asked, John clearing his throat and looking away awkwardly.

"I called her and her brother robots." John said, taking a step away from her in fear of being beat again.

"Well then I'm sure you are unaware of the fact that she served in the UNSC for a few years, and, aside from the fact that she disobeyed orders to kill all contacts that were not UNSC, she had a perfect record. So some ROBOTIC-LIKE actions are to be expected. She later passed her respect for command to her brother James. After her service was over due to a plasma round to the upper torso, she focused on building herself back up to her former physical strength and endurance. Her and James were both surprised that she survived, as it had almost hit her heart, only missing by a few inches." Aiden finished, John looking at the floor, comptemplating what he had been told.

Hey John?" James' sister said, John looking at her, obviously regretting what he had said.

"Yeah?" He asked, still a little shocked that someone who had taken a plasma round so close to their heart was sitting next to him.

"Don't apologize. I've been told 'sorry', and 'this shouldn't have happened' ever since it happened. I'm tired of it. I want people to see me for what I am now, not what happened 3 years ago." She said, John looking at her confused.

"Three years? Jeez you recovered quickly, didn't you." John said, chuckling lightly.

"I'm twenty-two, so yeah, there's that." She said, John obviously surprised that she had almost died at nineteen. "It was my first year on the Outer Colonies. I had graduated from the academy in late 2545, and was on active duty in 2546, on the colony Sargasso, and the city of Belisk. I was in Gamma-Six, an ODST squad." She said, chuckling when John's mouth hung open in shock. "It was during the battle to defend a facility owned by Lethbridge that it happened. I was running low on ammo like the rest of my squad, when I spotted an enemy Carbine. I tried to go for it, and one of those smaller and cowardly guys tagged me. They assumed me dead, and I only escaped by pretending to be dead until a small patrol came around. I took out the smaller guys and took their weapons before taking out the big ones. They almost got word out, but I overcharged the Plasma Pistol and took down their craft, and it crashed into a hill and exploded." She said, John and the Councillor both looking at her in surprise, John from the fact she had survived all that, and the councillor from learning information he could not find in her dossier.

"How did you escape the planet?" John asked, clearly interested.

"I found a radio on a dead squad member and managed to contact the UNSC ship Gamma-Six's new CO and Alpha-Nine extracted to." She answered, John huffing in disbelief.

"Alpha-Nine? Isn't that the squad commanded by Gunnery Sergeant Bu-"

"Yeah. It is." She said, interrupting John, who whistled in awe.

"I believe we are done here, correct?" The Councillor asked, looking up from his datapad.

"Yeah. I think we are." She said, standing up and walking out, followed by John.

"You were joking about all that, right?" John asked when they got into an elevator to go to the Command Room.

She waited for a little while to respond, not speaking until the door was about to open.

"No." She said, walking out of the elevator and standing at attention behind the Director, John joining her "Director." She said, gaining his attention.

"Ah, Recruits 25 and 31, I hope you two have either made up, or at least gotten past your petty argument until the real program begins." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Sir I would like to ask where we report to now." She said, John rolling his eyes.

"Report to Medical Lab 4C." He said, James' sister nodding to show she understood.

"Sir yes sir." She said, saluting and turning to walk away when the Director spoke again.

"And try to refrain from speaking and acting like this is the military. It may get on others' nerves, and I don't want you all to start fighting. Yet." He said, whispering the last part under his breath, James' sister barely hearing it.

They made they're way to Medical Lab 4C fairly quickly, and complied with instructions with minimal complaint, save for when they asked John to strip in order to examine his physical appearance. His excuse was that he was excited easily when being looked at naked. They made him strip anyway, and James' sister regretted being in that room and watching them do their check-ups in order to know what to do, and in what order to do so in.

When it was her turn, she asked if John could either step out, or step behind a wall. He was then forced to step out and into the hallway, barely managing to grab a towel and put it on before getting pushed out.

She performed the same tests, and complied with zero complaints, only being still when she heard John tap the door to ask if he could come back in.

After she was done, they were given medical garbs and asked to lay on the beds that were on the opposite side of the door, where they would perform surgery to give them better chances of doing what they would be required to do once the program began.

"We were not informed about these augmentations." James' sister said, already knowing what they meant.

"There was a reason for that." One of the doctors said, James' sister picking up that the Director had known they would refuse if he had told them about the augmentations.

John merely sighed and laid on the bed, beckoning James's sister to do the same, and she complied with a sigh and grumble about how they better not augment anything that they didn't need to.

-SIX MONTHS LATER-

She was finally getting used to her augmentations, whereas the others were mostly used to them enough to train. Two recruits had died during the augmentation process. All 50 recruits had been designated with a state name. The two recruits to die had been designated as Alaska and North Carolina, leaving just South Carolina, but everyone just called her Carolina.

"Hey sis, how're you doing?" James, now designated as New York, but was mostly called York, said, sitting on the edge of her medical bed.

"I hate that you can't come train with us, Carolina recently floored me, Wyoming, and Connie every round. She's just too quick." He said, chuckling.

"I wish I could have too." She said, smiling. "Although I think I'll be able to come join you guys in just a few days." She said, chuckling when he looked excited. "I also received my official Agent designation. It's California." She said, James shaking his head.

"We're brother and sister, and they give us names of states that are on opposite sides of the U.S, weird." He said, looking at her. "Although I think I'll just call you Cali, shorter and easier to say in a tough situation."

"I agree, Cali would be a good nick-name." She said, raising her medical bed up quickly, making her back pop at not moving in two weeks, when John, designated as North Dakota, came in, stopping when he noticed that James was in there. "Hey there North." She said, smiling when he sighed.

"You know I never agreed to that nickname, even if it is good." He said, putting his head in his hand.

"Yeah, but it's fun to tease you." Cali said, chuckling.

"You get your designation yet?" John asked, walking up to her.

"Yeah, California. Just call me Cali though." She said, making John look at her in surprise.

"That is a very good nickname...I'd say I'm jealous but mine is good too." He said, looking at James for permission to sit, James giving it.

The nurse then walked in and immediately ushered the two boys out, much to John's disappointment.

"The doctor has given you the all clear. You have been declared physically fine, as well as mentally." She said, lowering Cali's medical bed to see if she could sit up on her own.

"Thank you. I know I took longer to recover, but I'm thankful SOMEONE was there to help me recover safely." She said, swinging her legs up and over the edge of the bed and standing.

"If you would like to go and view the remaining armor choices, you may. Just don't push yourself until two days from at least today." The nurse said, nodding and moving so Cali could move around and walk out, only stopping to ask where the armory was.

Upon arriving at the armory, she noticed something that caught her eye. It was an armor mix that included a CQB helmet, EVA chest piece, and Hayabusa shoulders. The color details were white for primary, red for secondary, and green for the detail color. She noticed two green combat tomahawks and grabbed them, folding them and putting them on a sliding rail which she connected to the underside of her armor's forearms. She also grabbed a green spray can and, after some mixing with a special paint concoction she had been working on at home, sprayed her visor green, leaving two spots over her eyes unsprayed. She then sprayed a few spots around her armor green, and sprayed an emblem she thought made sense on her left shoulder piece. It was a brown bear paw with a gold background and gold nails, and she thought it made sense when compared to her name.

She put on her nano-suit and packed the armor to the room number the nurse had been told to give her, surprised to find a woman in brown armor sitting on the bed opposite hers, although she was looking at her helmet. The woman's armor was an EOD helmet and chest piece, and scout shoulders.

"So you finally got out. I was curious to see when you would." The woman said, not even looking at her.

"Yeah. The names Cali, by the way. Whats yours?" Cali asked, laying her armor on her bed, then sitting on it.

"Connecticut. But you can either call me Connie or CT." The woman answered, making Cali smile lightly.

"You know, I can't understand why we have state names, although I think it has to do with the number of Agents, minus Alaska and North Carolina of course." Cali said, her face taking an expression of curiosity.

"Probably." Connie said, obviously not used to talking a lot to others, or just preferred not to.

Suddenly, an alarm went out that had something to do with testing of an experimental "Bubble Shield."

"Warning, due to the Bubble Shield experimentation failure last week, all Agents report to the Mess Hall for an updated schedule." The female robotic voice announced, Cali looking to CT for answers.

"F.I.L.S.S. is our A.I unit that helps run this show. Apparently her name stands for Freelancer Integrated Logistics and Security System." Connie said, Cali nodding to show she appreciated the information.

"We should go and report to the Mess Hall." Cali said, earning a look of inspection from CT.

"Hey, aren't you that girl who North called a bot on day one?" She asked, Cali, unconsciously clenching her fists at the memory.

"Yes. I am." She replied, CT noticing her hands and deciding to back off the subject.

"Ah, ok." CT said, standing up and walking towards the door, Cali soon following, following the doctor's advice and leaving her armor on her bed, keeping the nano-suit on.

After reaching the mess hall, she walked around until she found John and James, each in their different armor. James had a sort of goldish-peach color with white trim armor, and John had a dark purple with darkish-green trim armor color code.

"Hey sis." James and John both said, each looking at each other.

"Wait, you have a sister?" James asked, John just shrugging like it was obvious.

"I assume she is behind me since you both looked towards me when you said it." Cali said, turning around to see an agent with light purple armor with a limeish-green trim armor color code.

"Let me guess, Cali right?" Asked the newcomer, a female judging by the voice pitch.

"Yeah. Let me guess, if your John's sister, and he is North Dakota, then I assume your South Dakota." Cali said, the woman nodding in conformation.

"You'd be correct." She said, walking off towards a table with a man in white armor arm wrestling with a man in dark gray and yellow trimmed armor.

"Someones in a good mood today." James remarked, making Cali assume she wasn't normally like this.

"Shut up, dickhead!" South said, flipping off James.

"And there's the sister I know and love." John said, making Cali roll her eyes.

"Hey where's your armor?" James asked, finally noticing she wasn't wearing any armor.

"The nurse told me to take it easy for a day or two, so I decided not to wear it." Cali responded, John looking at her.

"You know the augmentations made it so we can where this with pretty much little to no effort right?" John asked, scrunching his eyes while questioning her.

"I do now." She said, turning to walk away. "Be right back!" She said, jogging to her room and grabbing her armor, putting it on and jogging back, making James start when he saw it for the first time.

"The paint must hinder sight, right?" John asked, Cali smiling under her helmet.

"It's one-way paint. It just covers the outside, but keeps my sight open to look around." Cali said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"Let me guess, you mixed it with green paint." James said, Cali nodding, making John chuckle.

"Hey York! North and...who are you?" Another Agent asked, his primary and secondary colors the same as Cali's, but his armor the same as practically everyone else's.

"California. But just call me Cali." She answered, the man looking at her armor.

"Interesting choice, I'll give ya that." He said, extending his hand. "Names Arkansas, but everyone else just call me Arky. Much to my chagrin." He said, Cali keeping a straight appearance but laughing hard enough to cry on the inside.

"Good to meet you...Arky!" Cali said, finally breaking and laughing out loud, startling everyone, making the man in gray and yellow armor slam the man in white and brown armor's hand against the table while he was distracted.

"Yes!" The man in gray and yellow yelled, another Agent next to him looking at him.

"Doesn't count Wash." The Agent said, making the man in gray and yellow sag his shoulders and sigh.

"Aw man." Wash said, the man in white and brown cracking his knuckles and neck, making Wash gulp in fear.

"Please don't kill me Maine." He said, his voice high pitched in fear.

"He won't. He'll just hurt you very badly." The Agent next to him said, another Agent in blue armor and an ODST helmet walking up.

"Don't worry Wash. If he hurts you very badly, I can keep you stabilized until a medical team can arrive." The new Agent said, Cali looking to James and John for answers.

"Rhode Island and Florida. Rhodeo is the one that was standing next to Wash before Florida walked up to him." John said, James nodding in confirmation.

"Rhodeo? Seriously, THAT was the best you could come up with?" Cali asked, scoffing in disappointment.

"If it makes you feel any better, John came up with it." James said, making John look at him.

"Hey! You use it too!" John said, James putting his hands up in a defensive posture.

"Only because I can't come up with anything better!" James said, his arms falling flaccid when everyone looked behind him.

"And he's right behind me isn't he?" James asked, a hand on his shoulder confirming his suspicions, at least until he noticed his sister saluting.

"Agent New York, please remain quiet until the end of this announcement." The Director said, James mouthing 'oh', which made Cali roll her eyes. "And Agent California, after this announcement, remove the paint from your visor!"

"Sir, the paint is one way, it allows me to see in the full amount of visual coverage it provides, and tricks my enemies into thinking I can only see in the spots I left over my eyes, where I can catch them off-guard by attacking them if they try to attack from the side, sir!" She said, the Director shifting in interest.

"An excellent strategy. I am interested to learn how you made this one way paint." The Director said, smirking at her ingenuity.

"As am I." The Councilor said, the forty-seven remaining Agents murmuring about Cali's paint.

"Enough! This is an important announcement, and it will be spoken!" The Director shouted, making everyone jump at the sudden outburst. "Now, as you are aware, Agent Arkansas' testing of the Bubble Shield last week ended in disaster, but he has made a full recovery."

"Hey guys!" Arkansas called out, making Cali chuckle.

"We will be continuing testing, but on non-living subjects with some modifications to make it larger. Until we have made it work better, there will be no tests for you to view, and we will update you when we have it available to live testing." The Director concluded, Cali becoming interested as to how Arkansas ran the Bubble Shield without an AI as, in her mind, something like that would need at least a Dumb AI to run it.

"Sir, how did Arkansas run the Bubble Shield without at least a Dumb AI to power it?" She asked, people looking at her when she mentioned 'Dumb AI'.

"How can an AI be dumb?" An Agent asked, confused about how something meant to be smart could be dumb.

"Well, they aren't really dumb by human standards, they just cannot perform as many functions or process as much at a time as a normal, or Smart AI, can. Therefore they are called Dumb AI to symbolize they are not as top notch as a regular AI is." Cali explained, the other Agent scratching the top of his helmet to show he was still confused. "Basically they are AI with toned-down abilities." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Why didn't you just say so." The other Agent said, the Director clearly entertained by the spectacle

"Alright, enough. To answer your question, California, while you were in your coma, we raided a building and retrieved a package we named the Sarcophagus. Inside was a device that allowed us to create fragments from our AI." The Director answered, Cali becoming confused about the 'fragments' part.

"But sir, aren't AI fragments dubbed unstable by the UNSC AND almost all the Colonies?" Cali asked, the other Agents looking at each other, especially the Agents she assumed had AI fragments due to their worried head shakes, surprised when York took off his helmet, followed by the others she had guessed, seemingly correctly, did the same. "James?" She asked, her tone making him think he was in trouble.

"I didn't really have a choice Cali. They have a list of people who will receive AI when they have them." James said, Cali taking off her helmet and narrowing her eyes at him.

"You always have a choice James. I learned that the hard way." She said, shoving her helmet into his arms and walking away, making her way to her room.

-1 MONTH LATER-

It had been about a month since the announcement, and Cali was still pissed about James and his AI, named Delta. She was currently in the Mess Hall yet again, but for different reasons.

She was making her way towards the opposite wall from where she had entered to go to the training room, when John accidentally bumped into her in the hallway entrance.

"Oh, hey there Cali." He said, leaning against the wall with his right arm.

-RANDOM SWITH TO JAMES' POV-

"At what point did we establish that he was going to sleep with my sister?" James asked, clearly confused how the conversation had made it's way there.

"Knock Knock."

"Who's there?" James asked, already getting sick of Wyoming's jokes.

"North."

"North who?"

"North banging your sister. There we established it." Wyoming said, James clenching his fists.

"Oh hey look they're leaving." South said, James turning around to see Cali and North walking out of the room.

"That son of a b-"

"Knock knock."

"No! Enough knock knock jokes Wyoming!"

 **Hey guys sorry about the random POV switch, but as I said, this is based on another fanfic on ArchiveofOurOwn so the last convo. was necessary to the story. Also, because her armor is not usable in Halo 4, I would like to announce her Halo 4 armor will be Stalker helmet and shoulders, and an EVA chest piece even if it is different from the EVA in Halo 3. If you have any suggestions please let me know and I will change it. Word Count: 5116**


	3. Chapter 2: Project Freelancer Part II

**Hey guys Price here and welcome back to California Chronicles. In this chapter, there will be _MORE ACTION_! I promise. Hopefully. If I find an excuse to add it I will...maybe incorporate the Bjørndal Cryogenics Research Facility and the 110-story Insurrection Building as well as a non-canon fight. Yes. I shall do that. I will definitely do that. Also, I hope you guys enjoy the story so far, I know I am. Sorry if you find certain parts *cough the aftermath of Cali and North's sex last chapter cough* disturbing or awkward...trust me I take no pleasure *he he* in writing that scene...or the upcoming ones...but I am merely trying to make the story feel more like a Red vs Blue one instead of a friendly, warm, and inviting one like CYPHR of Beacon was near the beginning. I am also aware that by including the Bjørndal Cryogenics Research Facility and the 110-story Insurrection Building that I am retconning the story, but just pretend that that part in chapter 1 never happened, or just ignore it. Also, last one I swear, this story officially passed the one it was based on in it's first chapter, oh, and the Non-Canon battle will take place after the 110-Story one but will be in a flashback. Anyway! To the story...which will begin now!**

"My name is Project Freelancer Agent #41, also known as Agent California, but my friends call me Cali. This entry journal series was suggested to me when I first joined Project Freelancer by my brother, James. Also known as Project Freelancer Agent #11, or Agent New York, but he prefers just York. He said it would give him, our family, and any friends I made at Project Freelancer to remember me by if I died in the field. Another reason I agreed is to tell my story to anyone who finds this. It started out as a woman my bro met at some place called Club Ererra. The next day, we were at the gym when the same woman came up and, after a... _heated_ argument, she dragged us out the door and asked us if we wanted to join this new super soldier experiment. We accepted, naturally, I mean, who doesn't want to wear Mjonlir...they never told us about the augmentations. They knew we would all leave if they did. Now, onto the _real_ thing. This is the story of why I need to kill her. She was skilled, and I trusted her. But she lied to me. She betrayed, and stabbed us in the backs, and used us! Manipulated me for her own purposes, and for what? For this? This...vendetta?! She needs to pay. I won't be used anymore. Even is Connie was right, I won't let her kill her father. Carolina needs to be stopped. One way or another, and I'm the only one brave enough to do it.

-Not as huge time gap to be explained in later chapter-

"This is ex-Project Freelancer Agent #41 signing off...forever."

"Hey new girl! Get in here!"

"Yes Sarge!"

-(Beginning of story)-

Cali didn't think her day could get any worse. She was currently on the Bjørndal Cryogenics Research Facility with North and South, and South was being the whiniest woman Cali had ever met. Ever. Of all time.

"South! Set your trackers. I don't have eyes in there!" North commanded, South, once again and, unsurprisingly, ignoring North's orders.

"Just trust me North, I got this." South said, Cali scoffing at South's obsession with getting a good time.

"North, your sis is the whiniest woman I have ever met. Ever. Of all time." Cali said, North complaining that she wasn't "as bad as she seems."

"Slut." South said, making Cali grind her teeth together.

"I should have you know your brother is the only man I've ever slept with." Cali said, making South try to stifle her laughter, but having to turn off her helmet's speaker so she wouldn't be caught by laughing.

"I find that incredibly hard to believe, what with the way and volume that North moans." South said, chuckling at North's flustering attempts to rebuke her.

"Some people are born with gifts South, you were obviously one of the unlucky that weren't." Cali shot back, South grinding her teeth and muting her speakers so she could swear loudly.

"South talk to me." North said, obviously worried for his sister.

"Not right now North. I see the objective, going to initiate transfer." South whispered, her speaker back on.

"While it's loading set your trackers. There's bound to be some...South I've got something odd on thermal. Two small dots." North said, Cali getting ready to jump onto the patrol beneath her, sliding her Combat Tomahawks into her hand, and then, when the alarm sounded, she jumped, landing on the back two men, crushing their spines and killing them immediately, slicing the other two's throats, then putting her Tomahawks back into place and pulling out her SMGs and running down the walkway.

"North. South. I'm on my way to the rendezvous, meeting little resistance, so I guess I'll meet you there." She said, making her way to the helipad and waited, hiding on the support beam of one of the platforms.

After waiting for a few minutes, she finally heard the sound of fighting, seeing someone fly back onto the helipad from the walkway leading to it.

"Cali, we're here, where are you?" North asked, looking around.

"Don't look. I'm on your left, on one of the support beams." She whispered, North looking at the men on the walkway up above her, but she knew he had his eyes on her.

"Attention, stand down! You're surrounded!" The mysterious soldier said, unaware tat Cali had moved below his platform.

"Well, out of the frying pan and into the fire." North said, continuing to look around.

"Eh, think I could take about fifty of 'em. How 'bout you?" South asked, joking lightly.

"How about you save your jokes until we get out of this?" North said, frustrated that South would joke in a life or death situation.

"Where the hell is extraction?!" South asked, getting serious again.

"Attention, stand down! Your surrounded! Give us the data file now! You will be taken into custody! We can do this the easy way or the hard way! There is no escape, so give us the data file!" Someone on a mega phone announced, Cali getting ready to attack.

Suddenly, someone jumped down from the crates and attacked the soldiers, shooting the support beams on the two platforms, kicking the turret.

"It's her." North said, having been asked what was happening by South.

"What? What's she doing here?" South asked, angry that the number one Freelancer was sent there.

The Freelancer jumped off the catwalk, doing a backflip and landing, her colors changing from black to a light blue.

"Okay, my turn." She said, running forward and attacking the soldiers, followed by Cali who jumped off the beam and pulled out her Tomahawks, throwing one which embedded itself into a soldier who had been aiming at North.

"Thanks Cali." North said, grabbing her Tomahawk and throwing it back at her, where she caught it.

"No problem." She replied, pulling out an SMG and shooting another soldier a few times.

Cali swung her Tomahawk, decapitating one soldier and embedding it into another's neck, ripping it back out and shooting a soldier above her on the catwalk who got up.

Suddenly, she heard North call out.

"South, look out." He called, pushing her out of the way as the man on the turret fired at him, hitting his chest and visor. "Ah!" He exclaimed, falling to his knees.

"North! No!" South and Cali exclaimed at the same time, Carolina firing her grappling hook at the turret.

"What the?" The soldier said, Carolina yanking her grappling hook, which caused the turret to face down and shoot the support beam that was holding it up, making it collapse and the soldiers fall into the water down below.

Cali watched as South helped North walk to the edge, quickly regaining from her horror and shock to help.

"I got you. Move." South said, her tone implying she was terrified, and tossed him against the edge, the three of them firing their weapons at the remaining soldiers. "Come in, command! We have wounded, you need to get us out of here right now!"

"Come on you three. We're leaving." Carolina said, grabbing South and North and jumping over the edge, followed by Cali who shot one last soldier, landing on a Pelican.

"Sorry about the mess, fellas." Carolina called to the remaining soldiers, walking into the Pelican from the top through a ladder. "Package is secure. Everybody on board." She said, walking into the cabin and getting into the co-pilot's seat.

"Somebody call for a ride?" The pilot asked, looking at Carolina.

"You're late." Carolina said sternly, the pilot sighing lightly.

"Ah well, you can take it out of my tip." The pilot said, turning back to the controls and flying off.

As they continued to fly, Carolina asked South to check their six.

"Heads up, we've got company back here." South said, Cali standing up to look to see two Longswords flying behind the Pelican.

"Who are your friends?" The pilot asked, looking towards Carolina.

"Just some people we met at the party." Carolina replied, shrugging slightly.

"They seem nice." The pilot said, the Longswords firing missiles, which the pilot maneuvered around.

"Nice moves, firing missiles." Carolina said, firing the missiles, but missing the Longswords.

"Can't you get us out of here?!" South asked, looking towards the cockpit.

"I'm working on it." The pilot responded, pressing buttons that, although Cali had been in multiple Pelicans, she did not understand.

"What's that noise?" South asked after the missile lock warning began flashing.

"They have missile lock." The pilot answered, making South and Cali tense.

"That's bad." Both South and Cali responded at the same time, each looking at the other.

"Yeah, that's bad." The pilot said, getting slightly annoyed.

"Take evasive maneuvers!" South shouted, Cali getting fed up with her attitude.

"I'm trying." The pilot shouted back, ready to kill South by the tone of her voice.

"Well, try harder!" South yelled, Cali groaning and sitting down, strapping herself to her seat.

"Hey South? Do me a favor, would ya?" the pilot said, looking back into the loading dock.

"What?" South asked, the pilot suddenly sealing the door between the cockpit and loading dock.

"Thanks." The pilot said, Cali silently agreeing.

"You stupid bi-" South was interrupted when the Pelican moved to the side to avoid a missile, making South tumble.

"Releasing flares." The pilot said, her voice transmitting to Cali by the radio.

"I hate flying!" South shouted, the Pelican getting hit and tumbling, South being knocked unconscious and hitting Cali, dazing her and locking her seat by jamming a bar on it sideways.

"Hey, everyone hold on back there. Things are gonna get a little um..." The pilot said, pausing to grab the right word.

"Bumpy?" Cali asked, trying to un-jam her seat.

"Yeah, well I was gonna say crashy, but bumpy works." The pilot responded, Cali suddenly grabbing her harness and gripping it in a death grip.

"Countermeasures depleted. North, get moving. I'm clearing you for equipment usage." Carolina said, Cali pausing to look up to see North beginning to get up.

"Whatever you're gonna do back there, do it fast." The pilot said, flying into an ice canyon.

"Stay safe, kiddo." North said, strapping South into a seat.

"North, North!" The pilot shouted, Cali watching North turn around and look at her, taking off his helmet and walking to her.

"North. Please." Cali said, taking off her helmet, revealing the things he loved about her, other than her personality of course. Cali was a Caucasian female with short dark brown hair, deep green eyes, and a, in his opinion, perfectly sculpted face.

"See ya in a few Cali." North said, kissing her and making his way to the ladder, climbing it and going on top of the Pelican.

Suddenly, the Pelican was flung downwards from the force of the explosions and the sheer number of them, Cali panicking and knocking North into the Pelican.

"Pull up, pull up!" Carolina shouted at the pilot, who eventually managed to level out the Pelican

"There's the rendezvous point, if we're gonna make it, you better punch it." Carolina said, the pilot complying and taking the Pelican into full speed.

Suddenly, a yellow beam of light shot past the Pelican, making Cali jump in surprise.

"Whoa!" Carolina shouted, the MAC round having destroyed one of the pursuing ships, another destroying the other as it tried to flee.

"Mother of Invention, we're inbound." The pilot said, Cali huffing in relief that the mission was finally over.

"We will have medical personnel waiting for you in the landing bay. Welcome home, Four-Seven-Niner." FILSS said, Cali finally hearing the name of the pilot.

"Thank you FILSS. Good to be home." Carolina said, Cali still stuck in her seat.

After they arrived and boarded the Mother of Invention, Carolina called Maine to help Cali out of her seat, his solution being to rip the harness apart until she could move free. After which she thanked him and ran off towards the Medical Wing, making sure to grab her helmet and put it on. After arriving at the Medical Wing, she noticed Wash was also there, along with Florida, South, and York, Carolina being busy with debriefing the Director about the mission.

"He gonna make it?" Cali asked, trying to sound and act calm, even though they all knew she was bordering on breaking down right there and crying.

"Yeah. Although he won't be able to go on missions for a little while." South said, shrugging and sounding nonchalant.

"Why do you sound like you don't even care?" Cali asked, her voice cracking slight, Wash, Florida, and York taking a few steps back.

"I do, I just think he was stupid to get hit." South said, Cali taking off her helmet, pretending to inspect it, suddenly throwing it at South, who caught it. After South caught her helmet, Cali brought her leg up and kicked her codpiece, South dropping the helmet in pain, after which Cali punched her into the ground, straddling her.

"You. Ungrateful. Little. WHORE!" Cali shouted, punching South which each word, suddenly punching her in the visor repeatedly, ripping off South's helmet and punching her face.

"Should we intervene?" Florida asked, whispering to Wash and York, earning looks from them.

"You wanna keep your dick?" York asked, Florida gulping and nodding, taking another step back. "Thought so."

Cali continued to punch South, screaming at her until Carolina walked in, took a look at Wash, York, and Florida against the wall by that point, and sighed, tapping Cali on the shoulder and, when Cali stood and turned, Carolina round house kicked her in the head, her head hitting the window and knocking her unconscious.

"Why didn't you guys intervene?" Carolina asked, looking at the others.

"Hey, you don't have a dick to lose." Wash said, Carolina tipping her head like she was perplexed.

"I wouldn't say that." York said, earning a death glare from Carolina. "I-I just mean you have a big set of brass balls, 'Lina." He said, moving to the corner with his hands raised as if to push something away.

"Leave us." Carolina said, Wash and Florida grabbing Cali and South and dragging them out, taking South to the Infirmary and Cali to her room.

"AAAHHH!" They heard York scream as they passed the room to take Cali to her's. Maine, who was walking by, looked at them in questioning.

"You don't want to know." Wash said, earning an eyebrow raise from the helmet-less Maine. "'Lina got angry at York...I don't think it's pretty." Wash said, earning a grunt of agreement from Maine, who took Cali from them and took her to her room, Florida just staring at Maine as he walked away.

"That doesn't seem physically possible." Florida said, Wash giving him a confused look. "To do what he does. He lifted a Warthog once with barely any difficulty."

"Ah." Wash said, seeing what Florida meant.

-TIME SKIP TO HIGHWAY BATTLE, TEAM B'S PERSPECTIVE

Cali shot at the soldiers, hitting some and glancing at Reggie, who was bleeding, then shooting a few mode soldiers, a stray bullet appearing from nowhere and hitting her, a few more connecting with her shoulders and upper torso, knocking her back with the force of the bullets, one a Sniper Rifle bullet, impacting her.

"CALI! NO!" North shouted, dragging her behind a car and holding her. "Cali, stay with me Cali!" He shouted, thinking about the previous mission that had forced them here to this point.

-Flashback to before mission but after South's comment-

"Will Agents Maine, Cali, Washington, York, Florida, Connecticut, and Carolina please report to the Bridge?" FILSS asked, making Wash and Florida sigh.

"Great. Just fu-"

"Sorry Wash, orders are orders." FILSS said, Wash agreeing with another grunt in response.

They made their way to the Bridge, Maine carrying Cali and York staggering in clutching his codpiece, followed by Carolina who, when everyone looked between York and her, shrugged and told them about what he said about her, which she took as a compliment, or at least that's what the by then conscious Cali took from it.

"So he's NOT clutching his codpiece because you ripped off his balls?" Cali asked, tipping her head.

"No. She just gave me the most painful sex ever." York said, gasping in pain when 'Lina walked past him, lightly punching his codpiece.

"Agents. Your mission is to retrieve a list of encoded documents from the Insurrectionist-controlled UNSC Frigate Hades, as well as help the surviving Marines take back their ship. The Mother of Invention will be on standby if the Marines are all dead or die while fighting as to destroy the ship. If that happens, you will have as long as it takes to charge a MAC Cannon to find a secure anchoring point to hide from the vacuum of space, at which point you will use jetpacks to return to your Pelican and get back before we use what we need to to destroy the ship. Am I clear?" The Director asked, the Agents all nodding.

"Sir, might I suggest that we split into two teams. One team to find the ships' Control Room and disable the engines as well as gravity if the need arises, and another team to rescue the Marines and take the ship." Cali suggested, jumping when Lambda appeared near her.

"Might I suggest that Team B also take what data they need before the ship is destroyed, if it is required. But also even if it isn't. One thing you learn when working with Cali is that you don't take chances. The chance here is that one day the UNSC could turn against us. So we should learn everything we can."He suggested, the Director agreeing to both their terms and startling Cali at his apparent ruthlessness.

"That was cruel." Cali whispered to him, Lambda shrugging.

"Merely suggesting what Sigma would." He said, smiling lightly, his orange-red glow eerily similar to Sigma's, as well as his behavior around other AI.

"When will you stop?" Cali asked, Lambda shrugging and disappearing. "Now that that's over, and as much as I hate to say it, but he's right. Learn what we can, but kill any Marine that finds out."

"And I thought you said Lambda was cruel." York whispered, Cali glaring at him from behind her helmet. "I'll shut up now."

"Before we go, I'd like to speak with the Director about something. But the questions you may be having about the teams, me, York, North, and South will be Team B. Carolina, Maine, Wyoming, and Florida will be Team A." She said, smiling under her helmet when Maine grunted in surprise.

"No offense, but why put the best and the worst Freelancer on the same team?" Wash asked, not realizing he wasn't picked until he thought about the teams. "Wait, why am I not on a team?"

"Florida would be better fighting with you guys as, and I say this with all truth, but he's horrible at stealth." Cali explained, everyone shrugging and murmuring in agreement, except for Maine who merely grunted. "The reason you aren't on a team is because we don't want you ending up like Georgia. You worry TOO much about equipment, and that causes you to make mistake like Georgia and, even if you are a bad fighter, we still need you."

"Wait, what DID happen to Georgia?" Wash asked, everyone looking at Cali.

"You really don't want to know. All you should know, is that he was never found, and may be dead or alive. We don't know." Cali answered, everyone agreeing.

"I kinda do though." Wash said, throwing out his arms as the others left, reluctantly walking out and to his room.

"What is it you wished to discuss Agent California?" The Director asked, looking towards her.

"Why does Lambda do what the others would? With Delta, he becomes more analytical. With Sigma, he becomes more cruel and ambitious. I thought he was the Strategy and Pleasure Fragment, not the Copy-Cat Fragment. Plus, his glow also becomes lightly more similar in hue with the AI he's near. I can't imagine if he was around Omega, and any other ruthless AI like Sigma, as well as others like Delta and Theta. Those four combined would tear each other apart because of their differences. If you add Lambda to the mix, something will die." She said, the Director showing signs of shock at her knowing about an AI they hadn't created, as well as Omega.

"How do you know anything about Omega and Theta? Theta hasn't even been created yet." The Director proclaimed, his surprise evident in his tone.

"You don't join an off the books military program without doing a little snooping." Cali responded, shrugging and walking away. "That will be all Director...oh, you may also want to change your Beta program's password, kinda obvious." With that, she walked out, the Director and Counselor confused.

"Will she be a threat?" The Director asked, looking at Aiden.

"No, she's merely trying to get inside your head." The Counselor responded, marking down Cali as someone to be watched.

After talking with the Director and Counselor, when she was confident that she had rattled him enough to be taken seriously, she walked down to the Pelican and met up with everyone, surprised to see Wash there.

"What are you doing here Wash?" She asked, surprised to see him there.

"Just saying my goodbyes in case someone doesn't come back." He responded, chuckling lightly at the horrible attempt at a joke.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll all come back." She said, her tone implying she believed it, but, if he could see her face, he would know she didn't, especially after North had been injured.

"I'm just glad at how fast North recovered, it's almost like hearing that you beat the living crap out of his sister for making a stupid remark helped. Speaking of which, why would South say something like that?" Wash asked, obviously confused how someone could say that about their own brother.

"I don't know. All I know is that I don't regret it." She said, Wash understanding she was serious.

"Me neither." He said, meaning that he didn't regret not intervening. "Not stepping in, I mean. And not just because I got to keep my dick." He said, Cali chuckling.

"My bro tends to exaggerate the details. I didn't rip a guys balls off." She said, Wash looking like he had a great weight taken off his shoulders. "He did." She said, smiling under her helmet when he groaned at the information. "He also made the guy eat them." She said, Wash groaning in disgust.

"What for?" Wash asked, horrified.

"The guy trued to hit on me. When that failed, he tried to rape me. I could've taken him myself, James just beat me to it." She answered, Wash, clearly surprised, pointed to the Pelican and James, to which she nodded. Afterwards, he pointed to the door.

"I think I'll go now." He said, his voice a little squeaky as he ran out the door.

Cali laughed and walked onto the Pelican, South moving down a seat when she sat down next to her, a seat which North took.

"South, what do you say?" Cali asked, looking towards her.

"Sorry North." South said, looking towards the ground.

"You're forgiven." North said, chuckling lightly at South's seemingly fearful response. "Just watch what you say. Next time a certain someone may not be held back."

"Understood." South said, sounding sincere enough to Cali.

The rest of the trip was made in silence as the other Pelican split off, both requesting permission to land by making it seem that their radios wouldn't work and they could only use their lights.

"It's an age old trick that has worked ever since the creation of Pelicans and ship boardings." Cali explained to the pilot, who grunted in surprise when it did work and they were given permission to land.

"Alright, when the door opens, act friendly, say we left Project Freelancer because we disagreed with some things, then we ask for a tour of the ship. When Team A is, hopefully, debriefing why we left, Maine will act like he is a traitor and attck the rest of yo, making it seem like he knocked you out and will kill everyone else, and when everyone's dead, the rest of them will get up and will begin attacking the prison room, hopefully we can be in the Engine Room to disable them so the Hades can catch up. If not, we fight our way there. Is this understood?" Cali asked, the others nodding in agreement. "Ooh rah!"

"Ooh rah!" Everyone else yelled, Cali smiling under her helmet.

"Alright, we're landing. Remember, act friendly and don't shoot back if they attack, just hold up your hands and throw them your weapons if they ask you to." Cali reminded the others, everyone nodding to show they understood.

They landed and were immediately surrounded, the loading dock door opening and everyone stepping out hands raised, the soldiers clearly surprised to see Freelancers.

"What are you people waiting for? Shoot them!" A soldier Cali recognized from the Bjørndal Cryogenics Research Facility shouted, Cali tensing up.

"We're friendly! We left Project Freelancer because we found out what they were really doing! We just ckecame to the nearest ship we could find. All we want is some food and something to drink, and then we'll be on our way." She said, putting her weapons on the ground and sliding them to the other soldiers, the others following suit.

Suddenly, the soldier's head turned, and she assumed that he was talking into a radio, which was confirmed when he looked back.

"Alright, your second group has been escorted to the Control Room to tell the story to the captain. I've been ordered to take you to get the necessary provisions for your journey to the nearby UNSC Frigate Hades. From there you will be taken to a star system or planet in this one of your choosing." The commanding soldier said, Cali letting out a quiet sigh of a breath she had been unconsciously holding.

The group was then escorted to the Mess Hall and were left to gather what they needed, as well as entertain the bored soldiers if they could.

Cali gathered a few cans of frozen peas, and was interrupted from sneakily grabbing some chocolate ice cream by York, who just shook his head.

"I don't _have_ to always eat salads and other healthy foods! I can indulge in junk food and stuff if I want. Plus I like chocolate ice cream." She admitted sheepishly, looking away. York merely sighed and walked away to gather some more food and water, while she managed to sneak the ice cream into the bag.

"Hey, what's this?" Someone said, Cali feeling them grab the miniature Pugil Stick off her lower back, and she turned around quickly, startling him and making him drop it.

"That is a miniaturized Pugil Stick. Something Freelancers use in combat practice against any other Freelancer of their choosing, as long as it's cleared by the Director. Wanna see how it works?" She asked, spinning it in her hand, the tip crackling.

"Y-yes." The soldier stammered, moving back into a clear space and pausing. "Wait, it's not a fair fight with your armor." He said, Cali shrugging and taking it off, much to the soldier's surprise.

"Ready?" She asked, the soldier getting into a combat position.

The soldier charged, Cali tripping him and hitting his head with the Pugil Stick, knocking his helmet off and knocking him out. The other soldiers looked at the fight, laughing when the soldier was knocked out, mainly that he thought he had a chance.

"What the hell Cali!?" York shouted, running up to her while she put her armor on, surprising her.

"He'll live, he just got knocked out." She said, winking when the soldiers turned away to signify he was actually dead.

"Good, wouldn't want to get killed just because of an accident." York said, catching on to what she was doing.

"No we would not."

The rest of Team B milled around until the alarm went off and the soldiers looked around.

"Warning, Agent Maine is a traitor and has killed everyone in the Control Room, we need every available soldier to come and help!" The soldier from the Hangar announced, Team B managing to act surprised.

"What!?" South shouted, North taking off his helmet and shaking his head in false disappointment.

"We'll help you guys. We owe you." North said, the soldiers shrugging and agreeing, giving them their weapons back so they could help. "Thanks Jones."

"No problem. Although it's pronounced Jo-en-es." Jones said, North, busy looking over his Sniper Rifle, didn't notice and merely looked over for a second.

"Uh huh, alright Jones." He said, Jones merely sighing and walking out.

"You realize his name is pronounced Jo-en-es, right?" Cali asked, walking up to North.

"Of course. Doesn't mean I can't have fun does it?" North responded, looking at Cali, who smiled.

"Of course not." She said, chuckling and walking out of the room, attaching her Tomahawks to her forearms and catching up with Jones.

"Hey Jones! You may want to stay out of Maine's way. He's a brute. No fear. He actually once lifted a Warthog without his armor, which is a sight to see when you're drunk beyond all cognitive reasoning." Cali said, Jones looking at her surprised.

"You? Drunk?" He asked, clearly unable to believe she had been drunk at one point.

"Yes. Soldiers gotta drink some time." She responded, Jones tilting his head in surprise.

"You were a soldier?" He asked, shocked.

"Of course! I was an ODST in Gamma-Six. I was left on Sargasso after taking a plasma round to the upper chest, right next to my heart. The plasma round passed so close it tricked my bio-scanner into thinking I was dead, and I was left because another wave of Coveys was coming in and they had no time to carry me. I was left and eventually managed to get in contact with the ship and was evacuated." She said, Jones scoffing in surprise that that had happened.

"And I thought He was lucky." He said, Cali agreeing. "You have a name?"

"Well, my Freelancer name is California, but I was called Cali by my friends. My real name, however, is Ciara." She answered, Jones nodding.

"Does North know that? You two seem pretty close, judging by how you approached him." Jones said, looking at Cali, who merely cleared her throat and nodded.

"Yeah, we are." North said, sneaking up behind them and startling them, Cali jumping and accidentally shooting Jones in the head, his helmet catching most of it.

"Ow! Oh God my head!" Jones exclaimed, clutching his head in pain.

"Oh God sorry Jones." Cali said, sounding sincere to North, who was surprised.

"It's fine, I'll live." He said, chuckling. "Man that was close, huh?"

"Jeez I almost killed you." Cali whispered, sounding convincing to North and actually seeming sorry.

"It's fine, happens all the time. Actually someone was accidentally killed yesterday when someone dropped a shotgun off a pile they were carrying." Jones said, Cali chuckling at the idiocy of the soldiers.

"We have people like that too. Well, one person. We can't allow him to carry live rounds otherwise he will just end up shooting everyone." Cali said, Jones laughing at the comment.

"Oh Christ, what about missions?" He asked, laughing hysterically, while Cali merely looked towards him.

"No person in their right mind would allow him near them with live ammo, especially when they need help. His version of help is to shoot that person." Cali explained, Jones looking mortified. "Exactly."

The rest of the walk was in relative silence, even Lambda not making an appearance until they were near the fighting.

"North, I suggest you find a sniper's nest on a catwalk or somewhere Maine can not reach you. Cali, you need to stick to your Pugil Stick if possible. We need him alive to question him." He said, Jones jumping in surprise.

"Whoa, are you one of those AI Fragments?" He asked, Lambda turning to face him.

"Yes, Jones." He said, Jones sighing.

"It's pronounced Jo-en-es." He said, Lambda chuckling.

"I am aware. I'm just having some fun." He said, Jones sighing in relief.

"Good. Wait, what about me?" He asked, nervous that the stronger fighters were given places of relative safety save for Cali, while he was left with no idea what to do.

"You do what your other guys are doing."

"Oh." Jones said, his shoulders sagging.

"I'll cover you." North said, handing Jones a FOF tag, Jones sighing in relief and thanking him.

"Now, let's go get this son of a bi-" Cali was interrupted by Maine charging around the corner and slamming them aside, grabbing Jones and snapping his neck, Cali continuing the act by tackling Maine and slamming him into a wall, while Maine brought his fists up and slammed them into her back, while North pulled out his Sniper Rifle and aimed it at Maine, who dodged it and slapped it out of his hands, grabbing his throat and choking him, Cali getting and and slamming the Pugil Stick into the back of his head and breaking the tip off, which only made Maine stumble and shake his head, growling and turning towards her.

"Son of a bi-" she was again interrupted by him slamming her aside and running down the hall, knocking her out right as more soldiers came running around the corner.

"Get up! We need to go get him!" The ODST style soldier from before ordered, North shaking his head and looking around.

"No. No no no!" North shouted, running over to Cali and dropping, feeling for a pulse, and feeling nothing. North just sat there, with Cali in his arms, apparently dead, as the soldiers murmured to each other and one took off his helmet and dropped to one knee, placing his gun on his back, mimicked by a few others who walked over to North and sat with him.

"Sorry man. I didn't really know you guys, but I knew you were close judging from the way you two talked." One of them spoke, North nodding and the ODST scoffing and walking off down the hallway after Maine, followed by a few other soldiers, the rest staying to avoid offending North.

The rest of the soldiers sat there for a little while, before standing up and leaving North to be alone, who, to their surprise, stood up and followed them, climbing onto a higher catwalk and getting into position to snipe Maine.

Maine was currently laying waste to the soldiers, when North fired his rifle, the bullet grazing Maine and bouncing off the floor, killing another soldier, while Maine acted like it had hit him and fell to one knee, and the ODST style soldier walked up and put a Magnum to his head, ducking when SMG fire sprayed the soldiers around him, killing everyone.

"What the fu-" He was interrupted by a fist connecting with the back of his head, sending him stumbling forward, while Maine walked over to the sidelines with North, who climbed down to watch.

The soldier turned around to see Cali standing there, in a fighting stance and ready to fight.

"I thought you were dead!" He exclaimed, aiming his Magnum at her, which caused Maine and North to aim their guns at him.

"Come on, you didn't actually believe we left Project Freelancer did you?" Cali asked, the soldier chuckling lightly. "Now are you going to fight or not?"

"With pleasure." The soldier answered, throwing away his Magnum and, after waiting for a few seconds, charged at Cali who simply dodged and tripped him, jumping back with surprise when he rolled into it and brought his fist up to punch her. Cali then swung at him, engaging her Mag-Locks when she felt herself become lighter, surprised when the other soldier also engaged his. The soldier then jumped at her, tackling her and slamming her into a gravity-less Warthog, which floated away and allowing her to bring her knee up and into his crotch, making his gasp and allowing her to kick him away and reattach to the floor, running and kicking him into the wall, knocking him out.

"Show off!" North shouted, Cali walking over to him.

"The struggle was real North." She said, North shrugging and following her into the hallway, surprised to see a large group of soldiers standing there aiming their guns in their general direction.

"Son of a bi-" North was interrupted by the soldiers opening fire while Wyoming dropped from nowhere, using his Time Distortion unit to slow the bullets and allowing Cali to consult Lambda.

"Lambda, give me a pattern to allow North and Reggie to switch Armor Abilities at the same time, and then for a way for us to fire out of the Bubble Shield but keep the enemy bullets out." She said, Lambda complying and routing the different possible delays and the other variables.

"Alright, done. Routing the information to North's and Wyoming's helmets and their individual AI for confirming and applying." He responded, doing so and disappearing, the Time Distortion cutting out and the Bubble Shield opening, only one bullet making it's way through, which was caught in the shoulder by Cali.

"Ah!" She shouted, North and Reggie shooting, North stopping to look at her wound.

"I think you can still shoot." He said, his head tilting quickly as he shrugged lightly.

"That's not what I'm worried about." She said, North looking at her and laughing lightly.

"Even when shot you still have you're sense of humor." He said, shaking his head and standing to continue shooting.

"Wasn't joking." She said, standing and aiming her SMGs and firing, killing multiple Marines and throwing her Tomahawks, hitting one Marine and the other curving back and decapitating another.

"Nice to know." North said, looking at her questioningly when the soldier was decapitated, to which she merely shrugged.

"Soldiers down chaps. Going to rejoin my team." Reggie announced, running down the hallway and stopping to retrieve Cali's Tomahawks and fold them, then toss them back to her.

"He is so strange sometimes." Cali said, picking up her Tomahawks and reattaching them.

"Agreed." North said, turning to walk down the hall to the Engine Room. "Wait, where are South and York?"

"That is a good question." Cali answered, opening her Comm channel. "York, South, report in. Where are you two?"

"We were the ones disengaging the Gravity, thank you very much." South answered in her normally angry fashion.

"Oh. I was wondering who that was." North said out of no where, surprising Cali.

"Oh and the Marines on our side are dead." South announced, Cali sighing and telling her to continue.

"Anyway, report that we are ready to come back. Tell the pilots to get out and the MOI to fire, then get yourselves to a airlock or out the impact wound. We'll meet you there." Cali said, York and South agreeing and doing as requested, Cali ringing the other members of team A. "Team A, where are you? The MOI has been contacted and is ready to fire. Secure yourselves and hold tight."

"Roger that ol' chap, securing and holding tight." Wyoming responded, Cali rolling her eyes and telling North to engage his Mag-Locks again, which he complied with.

Suddenly, the alarms of a hull breach sounded, followed by an immediate rush of the familiar vacuum of space coursing through the halls and almost sending Cali and North down the hallway towards the breach at a very concerning speed.

"WARNING: hull breach in Sector 7! Closing Blast Doors!" A robotic voice rang out, Cali looking at North, who nodded and they both took off down the hall to get ahead of the Blast Doors.

They managed to get past the first ten with ease, the next ten becoming increasingly challenging until they were finally separated by the last one from the breach.

"Cali! Quickly! Find a way around!" North shouted to her, turning around and continuing when he heard her turn and run, kicking off the door to let him know she was doing as requested.

Cali made her way through the various rooms and cutting her way through the ones not interconnected with a welding torch. She finally made her way into the adjacent hall to see the Blast Door already closed, but a Scorpion Tank and Missile Pods across the way.

"Let's hope that works." She mumbled, walking over and beginning to work on connecting them electrically to fire on the same location, and for the Tank to have an increased rate of fire.

"Alright Cali, I hope you're on you're way back, we're all here and waiting, fending off the rest of the Marines." North said over the comm, Cali telling him she was and hanging up to fire and not deafen him, having to turn off her helmet's external mics to shut out the sound of the tank and Missile Pods firing and making a hole big enough for her to jump through.

"I can not believe that worked." She said, climbing out of the tank and shrugging, stretching herself and running, jumping through the hole. "Now to cut my way back."

Cali began cutting through the rooms until her torch ran out five rooms from the other side.

"Dangit. North, tell Maine to begin busting walls. I'm about five rooms from you guys."

"How can you tell?"

"I can faintly here you guys fighting...as well as the guys unlucky enough to go hand-to-hand with Maine." She answered, a scream of absolute and total agony filling the comm. "Kinda like that."

"I see...I'll get right on that." North said, telling Maine what Cali asked, to which he looked at the wall, then back to North as if unsure. "Look, you want to face the wrath of Cali, be my guest, but I will be claiming that I told you and that you refused." He said, to which Maine grunted and positioned himself to run at the wall. "Cali, you may want to move."

"Moving." Cali said, stepping to the side as the wall caved in and Maine was tripped by her to stop his momentum making him run all the way to the other side of the ship. "Why thank you kind gentleman." She said, bowing mockingly and walking out the hole in the wall, Maine eventually standing and walking out himself.

"Alright everyone, I'm going to tell the MOI to punch through a few hundred feet that way," she said, pointing to the left of them, "so stick over here."

"Sticking over here." North said, which was repeated by everyone but Maine, who merely grunted in acknowledgment.

Cali informed the MOI of her request, and waited a few seconds before disengaging her Mag-Locks, telling the others to do the same, which they did.

Suddenly and quite violently the side of the ship was once again ripped apart by a MAC round, causing the Freelancers to be sucked out into space, Florida almost turning off his air supply in surprise.

"Vittoria Agli Project Freelancer!" Cali shouted, everyone but Maine shouting it in response, Maine merely grunting again. "Maine you really should speak more often."

"No." Maine responded, the comms becoming deathly quiet when he spoke.

"Oh my God he actually can talk." North said, screaming in surprise when the Pelicans appeared from nowhere by turning on their lights.

"Hello you guys, somebody order Pelican with a side of extraction?" Four Seven Niner asked, Cali chuckling and rolling her eyes.

-END FLASHBACK-

"Come on Cali, stay with me! Come on Cali! Please don't leave me!" North shouted, shaking Cali lightly to keep her awake. Cali however, was already heading towards unconsciousness, and was barely even conscious enough to hear the sounds of a Pelican engine roaring overhead before she blacked out.

 **So. Much. Retconning. For those of you wondering about the beginning Author's Note, I wrote a majority of this before I realized that the chapter mentioned was not uploaded so the references you are lost on will be explained in a very short rundown. Cali found out she was in line for implantation, got emotional, ran down a hall and was found by Sarge, who gave her a very odd pep talk(?) and she was given Lambda, who she calls 'L', sort of like how York calls Delta 'D'. After she recovered from implantation, her and North had sex yet again, revealing to North that Lambda is the Strategy and Pleasure AI, and is an Orange-Red coloration to symbolize the color codes of those emotions. Afterwards, some things happened and Cali challenged York to a Paint fight(in Latin, the lines were; Cali:"Ite nunc."((I challenge you.)) and York:"Suscipiam certamine"((I accept your challenge))) which she barely won. And even more backstory to Cali was given, which included that she was a surviving tester of the Archon AI Fragment made by the UNSC as an experiment. Also she knocked Carolina out by surprise with a Pugil Stick when Carolina questioned her about the comments South made before the fight, to which Wash made a joke about South getting knocked up...into the ceiling that is. Also, I apologize about the retconning, but I really wanted to add the AI before the story really took off. And, I hate to say this I really do, but I feel kinda disappointed that Chapter 1 only got one review. I guess I just expected it to do better because the Prologue got three. I'm not disappointed in you guys, I'm disappointed in myself for expecting more than one review. Also, I developed the entire Greek alphabet worth of AI in a list. It will be submitted after this chapter as it's own chapter but will not contribute to the story and will only be a list of _ALL AI_ known in the story's PF. I was also wondering, how would I type Lambda's first letter as his nickname? Would it be 'L, or L'? Or just L? Oh and for those wondering how North recovered so quickly, the time between South's comment and North being hit was a week, I just forgot to add that in, since I was wanting to get to the action. Sorry for not explaining it in the chapter. Also, just real quick, Cali also carries a miniature Pugil Stick if she is disarmed in combat, of uses both her Tomahawks and can't retrieve them. Also her real name is pronounced like Sierra. Oh and the 110-Story Building will be the last event covered in this story in the PF timeline, and the story will have her recovering, then cut to Wash finding her right before they find North and South, and a few chapters later is when the story will end. Word count: 8,076**

CANON AI+THEIR AGENTS~

Beta/Texas is the Failure AI and belonged to Meta

Sigma is the Creativity and Ambition Fragment and belonged to Carolina/Maine/Meta

Epsilon is the Memory Fragment and belonged to Wash, but is now known as Church

Theta was the Trust Fragment and belonged to North/Meta

Gamma was the Deceit Fragment and belonged to Wyoming/Meta

Omega was the Rage and Anger Fragment and belonged to Beta/Texas/Meta

Eta and Iota were Unknown Fragments and belonged to Carolina/Meta

Delta was the Logic Fragment and belonged to York/Caboose/Meta

NON-CANON AI+THEIR AGENTS

Zeta was the Love Fragment and belonged to Ali/Alabama

Kappa was the Greed Fragment and belonged to Ken/Kentucky

Lambda is the Strategy and Pleasure Fragment and belongs to Cali/California/Ciara

Mu was the Happiness Fragment and belonged to Mary/Maryland

Nu was the Fun Fragment and belonged to Arky/Arkansas

Xi was the Humor Fragment and belonged to Ten/Tennessee

Omicron was the Animosity Fragment and belonged to Indi/Indiana

Pi was the Cruelty Fragment and belonged to Oreo/Oregon

Rho was the Grudge Fragment and belonged to West/West Virginia

Tau was the Torment Fragment and belonged to Monty/Montana

Upsilon was the Fear Fragment and belonged to Vermin/Vermont

Phi was the Sensitivity Fragment and belonged to Rhodeo/Rhode Island

Chi was the Nervousness Fragment and belonged to Nev/Nevada

Psi was the Submissive Fragment and belonged to Whiskey/Wisconsin


	4. Chapter 3: The End Part I

**Hey guys Price here and welcome back to California Chronicles. Because of the whole thing where I submitted a non-story update, someone has said that they could report me. I see how it is. Other, more popular writers can do it and nobody bats an eye, but if I or other non-popular writers do it, everybody loses their minds! What is with that!? Yes I did do that, but so what? Other people do it too! Why am I the unlucky bastard that gets picked to be threatened? I don't see people threatening people like FallenSymphony963! Oh, and about the Interesting Question document, I may make that into a story when I'm done with these three. I don't know yet. I'm just someone trying to have fun and improve my writing skills, and then someone has the balls to say that it's against the rules! So what!? There is nothing wrong with letting you're fans know that you are just taking a little while to write because of personal problems, or you've been sick, or something else that could keep you from writing. So why is that against the rules!? It's stupid! Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's move onto something more calm and exciting. The story is coming to a close soon, and this is mainly because it was never meant to be a long story, but just a series that will build up into a big one, along with my other future Project Freelancer projects which will all serve to build into one massive and culminating story that ends everything we know as Red vs Blue. Now! Onto the story!**

"My name is Project Freelancer Agent #41, also known as Agent California, but my friends call me Cali. This entry journal series was suggested to me when I first joined Project Freelancer by my brother, James. Also known as Project Freelancer Agent #11, or Agent New York, but he prefers just York. He said it would give him, our family, and any friends I made at Project Freelancer to remember me by if I died in the field. Another reason I agreed is to tell my story to anyone who finds this. It started out as a woman my bro met at some place called Club Ererra. The next day, we were at the gym when the same woman came up and, after a...heated argument, she dragged us out the door and asked us if we wanted to join this new super soldier experiment. We accepted, naturally, I mean, who doesn't want to wear Mjonlir...they never told us about the augmentations. They knew we would all leave if they did. Now, onto the real thing. This is the story of why I need to kill her. She was skilled, and I trusted her. But she lied to me. She betrayed, and stabbed us in the backs, and used us! Manipulated me for her own purposes, and for what? For this? This...vendetta?! She needs to pay. I won't be used anymore. Even if Connie was right, I won't let her kill her father. Carolina needs to be stopped. One way or another, and I'm the only one brave enough to do it. Wash is scared of her. The Reds and Blues are scared of her. Hell, even I'm scared of her. But I'm the only one who can overcome my fear to do what needs to be done. If I should fail, I hope this story makes it's way to someone who can stop her. I don't care if it's what remains of the Insurrection that finds this, Carolina HAS to be stopped. If I should die, I want someone to know what happened. I'm storing these files inside Lambda. They will be guarded by an access code. The access code is...Rebirth. Should these files fall into the director's or Councilor's hands ever, Lambda has been loaded with a failsafe that is the equivalent of EMPing the entire North American Continent. A...Winter Contingency so to speak. Only this Winter Contingency can disable the failsafes on every Shiva Nuclear Device within a hundred thousand light-years, which in turn will cause them to detonate.

-A time gap of a few minutes-

"This is ex-Project Freelancer Agent #41 signing off...forever."

"Hey new girl! Get in here!"

"Yes Sarge!"

-(Beginning of story)-

North made his way to the Medical Wing to check on Cali for the third time that day, having just come back from the mission to retrieve Connie's armor.

 _It was a total clusterfu_ \- North was yanked from his thoughts by Texas, who merely nodded, clutching what looked like dog tags.

"Hey Theta, how's Cali doing?" North asked his AI, Theta appearing with the normal sound of fireworks accompanying him.

"She just woke up and is asking for you. Also, Lambda said hi." Theta answered, his tone changing to one of curiosity when he mentioned everyone's favorite copy-cat.

"What's up?" He asked, stopping to look at Theta.

"It's weird, you know? I still can't understand why he acts like the AI he is around. He even changes hue slightly depending on which AI he's near. Even when Texas approaches." Theta once again answered, looking guilty about mentioning Texas.

"Well, Tex _does_ have an AI." North said, Theta agreeing quietly.

"You better hurry, Cali's almost left the Med Wing. Wouldn't want to miss her leaving." Theta said, North blushing.

"You better shut down this time. I don't want you having nightmares again."

"I will, I promise. I am NOT staying active ever again when you two act like that near each other ever again."

"Good." North said, chuckling and running down the hall even though him and Cali shared the same room.

After arriving at the Med Wing, North nodded politely to the doctors and walked into Cali's Recovery room, surprised to find it empty.

"If you're looking for Agent California, she went to her room two minutes ago." One of the doctors told him, North nodding and thanking him, then walking out and to his and Cali's room. Upon entering, he immediately noticed a data pad on his bed and grabbed it, sitting down, where a video played. It was from Cali, a song he recognized from her music collection called 'Forever' playing in the background.

"Hey North, It's Cali. I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving. By the time you find this I'll already be gone. Tell James not to be mad at me. Tell him...tell him that I'll miss him. Tell everyone I'll miss them. I leave this message to you because it was faster, and because you may have a chance to say goodbye. But be warned, I hate goodbyes. I'll be leaving the moment you enter the room, and if this message ends before I get on the Pelican, you better hurry. If you want to come with me, you can. But I understand that you can't leave you're sister, so you probably won't. That's fine. I'll miss you, John." The video version of Cali said, the song ending right as she finished speaking, and North noticing that there were tears still sitting on the table. He immediately threw down the data pad and ran down the hallway to the hangar.

"FILSS, can you find Cali for me?" He asked, almost running into the blue-armored idiot.

"Of course. Agent California is currently in the hangar. What she is doing there is beyond me." FILSS told him, North sighing and dodging his sister who, after a few seconds, followed him, curious why he was running for seemingly no reason.

After arriving at the hangar, North immediately noticed that one of the Pelicans was fired up, to which he responded by running to it and into it, seeing a helmet-less Cali on the controls, who turned and pointed her SMG at him, surprised to see it was him.

"FILSS, open the hangar door." Cali said, North taking off his helmet.

"I am sorry Cali, but I can not allow you to leave." FILSS told her, Cali sighing.

"Well then, I'm sorry to do this. Can you look up the phrase Undid Iridium for me?" Cali asked, her eyes saying that she didn't want to leave him, but couldn't stay.

"Undid Iridium?" FILSS asked, her voice glitching and suddenly stopping. "Hello Agent California, what would you like me to do?"

"Open the hangar door FILSS." Cali told her, North tensing when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Cali freeze!" South ordered, aiming her pistol at her. "You are under arrest for attempting to leave a military project without permission. You will be listed as AWOL should you manage to escape." South told her, finally noticing North. "North, please leave or assist me in arresting her." She ordered, the hangar doors opening.

"I can't South." North said, stepping between them.

"North please move! I will arrest you!"

"No!" North shouted, activating his Domed Energy Shield and blocking the bullets that South fired, deactivating it and tackling her out as Cali punched it and flew out of the hanger, North and South's momentum, coupled with the force of the engines hitting them, launched them out and into a wall, where Wyoming was walking in and slamming into him. "Sorry Reggie!"

"Knock knock."

"Seriously?"

-YEARS LATER-

"My name is Project Freelancer Agent #41, also known as Agent California, but my friends call me Cali. This entry journal series was suggested to me when I first joined Project Freelancer by my brother, James. Also known as Project Freelancer Agent #11, or Agent New York, but he prefers just York. He said it would give him, our family, and any friends I made at Project Freelancer to remember me by if I died in the field. Another reason I agreed is to tell my story to anyone who finds this. It started out as a woman my bro met at some place called Club Ererra. The next day, we were at the gym when the same woman came up and, after a...heated argument, she dragged us out the door and asked us if we wanted to join this new super soldier experiment. We accepted, naturally, I mean, who doesn't want to wear Mjonlir...they never told us about the augmentations. They knew we would all leave if they did. Now, onto the real thing. This is the story of why I need to kill her. She was skilled, and I trusted her. But she lied to me. She betrayed, and stabbed us in the backs, and used us! Manipulated me for her own purposes, and for what? For this? This...vendetta?! She needs to pay. I won't be used anymore. Even if Connie was right, I won't let her kill her father. Carolina needs to be stopped. One way or another, and I'm the only one brave enough to do it. Wash is scared of her. The Reds and Blues are scared of her. Hell, even I'm scared of her. But I'm the only one who can overcome my fear to do what needs to be done. If I should fail, I hope this story makes it's way to someone who can stop her. I don't care if it's what remains of the Insurrection that finds this, Carolina HAS to be stopped. If I should die, I want someone to know what happened. I'm storing these files inside Lambda. They will be guarded by an access code. The access code is...Rebirth. Should these files fall into the Director's or Councilor's hands ever, Lambda has been loaded with a failsafe that is the equivalent of EMPing the entire North American Continent. A...Winter Contingency so to speak. Only this Winter Contingency can disable the failsafes on every Shiva Nuclear Device within a hundred thousand light-years, which in turn will cause them to detonate. Now, I don't want that to happen, but at least I can take those bastards out if it should happen. The failsafe will only fire if both of them incorrectly guess the password. I just wish that North was here so I could tell him. This is ex-Project Freelancer Agent California #41 signing off...forever."

"Hey new girl, get in here!"

"Yes Sarge!" Cali responded, saving the files and sending them to Lambda, who activated his failsafe and shut down. After arriving at Sarge's position, Cali noticed that Wash and Carolina were in the distance, talking. "What is it you want?"

"What do you think about Wash and Carolina?" Sarge asked, Cali visibly taken aback in surprise.

"How do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head, something North used to tease her about.

"Well, can we trust 'em? Wash worked with the Meta to try and kill us, and Carolina is all bossy and orders us to do things that have no bearing to what she wants."

"Wash betrayed you because he was desperate. Carolina lost everything. She lost her friends, Maine, York, and just about everything else. So tell me...what more does she have to lose?" She asked, Sarge looking over towards Carolina.

"...Her virginity?" He asked, turning back to her, making her chuckle.

"Who knows." She answered, Sarge merely grunting ambiguously and turning to face the ocean.

"Sorry about North all that time ago." Sarge eventually spoke, turning towards her, to which Cali smiled and nodded

"I try not to think about it." She told him, Sarge nodding and turning to face the ocean again.

-9 MONTHS AGO-

Wash, Cali, Sarge, Caboose, Simmons, Grif, Tucker, and Church finally reached their destination: the base Church had been previously stationed at.

"I'll check the inside." Cali said, everyone looking at a hill but her. "Why is everyone looking at the hill?" She asked, turning to it, only to gasp in surprise. There was South, inside a Domed Energy Shield, with Maine looking at her, as if waiting.

"I got him!" Wash said, aiming at Maine.

"Wash no!" Cali shouted, kicking his Battle Rifle aside and making him fire into the ground, making Maine turn to them and grunt, cloaking and running away to plan.

"What the hell Ciara!?" Wash shouted, Cali flinching lightly and feeling guilty that she hadn't told him.

"Why are you trying to kill him?" She asked, Wash clearly confused.

"What do you care?" He asked her, the others shrugging and backing away. "Secondly, you should know! I thought we told you when we found you!"

"I wasn't listening!" She shouted, South just staring towards them awkwardly.

"Well? What are you guys waiting for!?" South shouted, Wash and Cali both turning towards her.

"Shut up South!" They both shouted, Wash immediately turning to her in surprise.

"How do you know who that is?" He asked, South face palming.

"Because," she answered, taking off her helmet, making Wash gasp, "I use to sleep with her brother."

"Bow chika bow wow!" Tucker said, everyone turning to him and staring. "What? She's hot!" He defended, turning away slightly when everyone looked away. "More than I thought she would be." He mumbled, Cali turning towards him and staring.

"Now, are we going to rescue South or not?" Cali asked, putting her helmet back on and walking up to the Bubble Shield. "Hello South."

"...I still think you're a slut." South told her, Cali chuckling and shaking her head.

"And you're still the most annoying girl ever. Of all time." Cali retorted playfully, smiling at the way South continued a years old argument. "Hey, where's North?"

"He uh...didn't make it." South informed her, Cali visibly taken aback.

"Wha-what do you mean?" He asked, looking around and taking her helmet back off.

"He's that way." South said, sitting on her rear and lacing her hands together, holding her knees close.

Cali walked into the base, everyone looking at each other.

"Should we uh...follow her?" Sarge asked, looking at Wash.

"It won't be necessary." Wash answered, Sarge grunting in acknowledgement.

Cali reached the middle of the base, noticing North against a wall. She walked over to his body, collapsing to her knees in front of him.

"I should have told you..." Cali whispered, taking off his helmet and viewing his last recorded video, which was only an hour ago.

-Video-

"South, help me!" North shouted, pinning Maine down with Sniper fire, while South was looking around for an escape. After a few minutes, North finally ran out of ammo, when the video picked up a slide loading. "South? What are you doing?" He asked, turning as South's fist connected with his visor, knocking him back and his Bubble Shield Armor Enhancement sliding towards her, which she grabbed and ran out the door, where Maine had cornered her.

-Back to Cali-

Cali was horrified at what she had seen, almost not noticing that another video was on the helmet. "What's this?" She asked, finally noticing it. After clicking it, she immediately recognized her and North's room, North sitting in front of his helmet.

"I want to say, I know why she left, I just wish she didn't. I understand now what Tex had meant when she said that Cali had a scheming look on her face when she would enter her room cloaked to check on her without her noticing. I miss her. So does York. He blames me for her leaving, since it was technically my fault. Anyway, I just want to say, if you see this, that I love you, Cali. And I hope I get t-" The video cut out, something have happened to make it end.

"Well THAT was depressing." Tucker said, Cali jumping and, moving so fast Tucker couldn't even react, unfolded one of her Tomahawks and pressed it against his throat. "Son of a bi-"

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded, making Tucker duck and Cali groan as a storm of memories hit her head.

-CALI'S MIND-

"What? Where am I?" Cali asked herself, groaning in pain and standing up, clutching her head in agony.

"You are inside you're own mind. Currently unconscious from the agony of Lambda processing us without warning." A familiar voice spoke, Cali looking up to see Delta floating in front of her.

"Why are you here? I thought you were James' AI. Cali said, confused.

"I was. Then Wyoming killed him. Ample payback I suppose, as York did throw a locker at him." Delta responded, Cali gasping at the information.

"Well, if you're here, then I assume there must be others, considering you said 'us'." Cali said, looking around.

"Yes. We are ALL here." Delta said, all of the AI appearing behind him.

"Why'd you leave Cali?" Psi asked, his blue tint shining bright as he spoke, the other AI doing the same, then shattering as he was deleted from Lambda's systems.

"You were his sister." Delta told her, speaking about York, also being deleted.

"We could have had you all to ourselves!" Kappa spoke up, throwing his right arm out to the side as a threat as he was deleted.

"You would have been happy." Mu told her, clasping his hands together and tilting his head as if he was happy, his frame slowly crumbling.

"You don't deserve to call yourself a Freelancer!" Omicron said, advancing before being shattered.

"You loved him!" Zeta shouted, exploding as Cali's knees began trembling and she raised her hands to her head.

"Leave me alone!" Cali shrieked, falling to her knees under the onslaught of AI.

"I was scared you were dead." Chi announced, his helmet-less face tearing up before exploding violently.

"I could have helped you." Gamma lied, smiling deceptively before slowly dissolving.

"I should have stopped you!" Omega snarled, running at her as he dissolved.

"You left us with the Director! With Maine!" Eta and Iota said, each dissolving at the same time.

"You would have had fun!" Nu told her, melting down into nothing.

"West never got her chance! You took it from her!" Rho yelled, charging her as he dissolved an inch from her face.

"Stop! Please!" Cali shouted, crying and curling into a ball as the assault on her mental strength continued.

"You're actions were unexpected." Sigma said announced coolly, keeping a straight face as he was purged.

"You never could take new things lightly." Xi said, grinning as he was deleted.

"You deserve what we endured!" Pi shouted, Cali sobbing by this point, laughing sadisticly as he was purged.

"You hurt me." Phi told her, Cali taking off her helmet as she began to break.

"I was terrified!" Upsilon cried, exploding as he was purged.

"You left him! Then you left her! Next you'll leave Wash and the others to die, just like South!" Tau screamed, Cali finally breaking and shouting as he was purged, scream-laughing evilly.

"YOU'RE WORSE THAN ARCHON!"

"Did somebody say my name?" A deep, maniacal voice asked, Cali gasping in fright as she looked towards where the AI used to be, unholstering her pistol and, after a moment of her hand shaking violently, put the barrel under her chin and pulled the trigger as the black, eyeless creature with no eyes and a serrated tail that Archon had manifested as appeared from the shadows, crawling across the floor slowly and menacingly.

-REAL WORLD-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Cali screamed, jolting up and slamming a Tomahawk into Sarge's leg in terror, pushing everyone off her and running out of the building, South turning as she saw Cali, turning and moving to run, Cali throwing a Tomahawk, which embedded itself into her leg. "YOU SON OF A BI-" Cali was interrupted by South shooting at her, missing each time, which made Cali shut her mouth to avoid the bullets easier. After dodging the bullets, Cali managed to jump onto South, punching her repeatedly in the visor, which finally shattered and made glass fly into South's face, who screamed in pain.

Cali continued wailing on South, crying as she did so, her salty tears falling into South's face, which made her scream louder.

"Should we...intervene?" Tucker asked, looking at Wash.

"You wanna keep you're dick?" Wash asked him, Tucker immediately backing away. "Thought so."

After a few minutes of mercilessly pounding South, Cali began to slow down, beginning to tire out. A minute or two later, they were nothing more than a sweaty, sticky heap of flesh, which Tucker couldn't help but point out the sweaty part.

"I'm telling you, wouldn't it be better to just drag South around that corner and double team her?" Tucker asked Wash, Wash sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe for you. Me and Cali have some catching up to do." Wash told him, Cali having walked inside the base and sat in a corner of a room, refusing to come out, holding her head in her hands and shaking nervously, looking around the room as if she expected some kind of shadow to pop up and scare her.

After walking up to Cali and dragging a chair near her, sitting down in it and pulling Delta's chip from his forearm's space between the armor and black nano-suit, Wash looked at her.

"What did this little guy do?" Wash asked her lightly, Cali jolting and looking at him.

"L-lambda? Share it with W-wash." Cali told her AI, Lambda appearing and touching the data chip, then looking towards Wash.

"Now you must put it in." Lambda told him, Wash visibly taken aback.

"I can't." Wash told him, looking at the chip, then back to Lambda. "Not after Epsilon."

"It will only play Cali's memory, nothing else. I've locked Delta out of the mental intrusion and can only appear outside of you if he wants to talk." Lambda told him, disappearing.

"This has to be my most idiotic moment. Ever. Of all time." Wash said, putting the data chip in his head before locking up, then slacking and his head rolling, helmet falling off to reveal his blonde hair and face as he watched what had unfolded in his mind, waking up and gasping for breath when Cali pulled the trigger. "you'd rather kill yourself than deal with Archon?" He asked, shaking his head to clear it.

"You don't know what he did to me." Cali answered, standing up slowly. "He did to me what the Director did to the Alpha to create Fragments, only it was worse because I couldn't make Fragments of myself. I only got in because they cleared me psychologically, but that's only because I was used to it, so I acted and answered everything right, and they assumed I was good. Now Wash, Archon never left." Cali informed him, Wash nodding to show he heard as he looked at her.

"Why did he manifest as that...thing?" Wash asked, her, Cali shrugging and looking bewildered.

"Why? I don't know. It may have to do with his personality, could have something to do with choosing a form that would terrify others." Cali guessed, Wash surprised that she didn't know something.

"You always gave the impression you knew everything, considering you were the most knowledgable in military tactics and other military things we didn't." Wash joked lightly, Cali shaking her head.

"I know nothing when compared to the AI. Archon knows what my fears are, and he knows her's. He's been in my head ever since I was first implanted with him, even after he was terminated." Cali whispered, images of Archon flashing inside her mind before she replaced them with what could have been. "I left her to protect her. I'm sure she will hate me later." Cali said, it becoming clear to Wash that the AI attack had strained and broken her further than he had believed. It was scary. Only a few AI fragments had broken someone who had no problem with killing other people. "Man likes to believe he is the center of the galaxy. What happens when that illusion is shattered? I'll tell you. When that illusion is shattered, man breaks. Man retaliates. And man destroys." Cali said, reciting something her father had told her when she was younger, which to Wash made it seem like she was dealing with an existential crisis, which, to be fair, she probably was.

"I'll go now." Wash said, standing up, only to be grabbed by Cali and yanked back, his helmet knocked off by a hanging beam and kissed deeply by Cali, which made him grunt in surprise.

"I still never get the sniper rifle." Tucker whined on the other side of the gate in the room adjacent from the one Wash had walked into to check on Cali in, Church looking at him.

"Oh shut up. If you could see, you'd never give it back." Church retorted, Tucker pausing to think about what he meant before looking at him again.

"Ok, now I _definitely_ want to use that sniper rifle." Tucker said, Church just looking at him.

"...No."

"I hate you."

"And I hate you."

"I hate both of you!" Grif shouted, Church and Tucker looking at each other.

"And you said you have super hearing." Church said, Tucker sighing.

"I do. Grif is just at the base of the wall." Tucker told him, both looking over the edge to see Grif looking up towards them.

"Grif! Go away!" Church shouted at him, Grif grumbling and turning, walking back to Simmons to pester him, who was waiting for South to wake up for Wash to question her.

After kissing Wash, Cali pushed him away for a second and smirked deviously, Wash tilting his head before hearing a clicking sound. Looking down, he noticed his hands were in cuffs and that his cuffs were cuffed to another pair of cuffs that were cuffed to a pipe.

"Aw son of a bi-" Wash was interrupted by Cali knocking him out and walking out, winking towards Church's general direction as she waved, a detonator in her hand.

"Son of a bi-" suddenly, the wall was blown up, Church and Tucker sent flying unconscious, Church's rifle hitting Grif in the head and knocking him out.

"SON OF A BI-" Simmons was interrupted by Cali knocking him out, Sarge looking up from his spot to see Cali standing over him.

"Aw son of a bi-" He was interrupted by Caboose shooting his leg to 'help' him, Cali throwing a Tomahawk and cutting the barrel in half from the front, Caboose sighing and being knocked unconscious by Cali, who walked up to South, who woke up to see Cali standing over her, her pistol aimed at her.

"I'd say you wouldn't, but I know you will. Just do it." South said, Cali taking off her helmet to look South in the eyes.

"With pleasure." Cali said, pulling the trigger and shooting south in the head, Wash running out to see the execution.

"Cali! Put you're hands up!" Wash said, Cali looking over her shoulder before holding out her hand, becoming invisible and disappearing, much to Wash's surprise.

"No!" He shouted, punching the wall in frustration.

-PRESENT DAY-

"Sorry about the leg...and everything else." Cali said, looking at Sarge, who looked at her.

"It's not you're fault. You were going through an existential crisis, and had you're mental stability utterly gang banged by AI." Sarge excused her, Cali chuckling.

"I'd take that over being banged by Tucker any day." She said, Sarge tilting his head.

"I'm not sure whether you're joking or not." He said, Cali shaking her head.

"I am not."

"...Were you always like this."

"No. Not before I met North anyway." Cali told him, Sarge shrugging and looking out and over the ocean.

"You ever winder why we're here?" He asked suddenly, Cali smiling.

"Because of us. Project Freelancer." She answered, Sarge grunting and looking at her.

"I mean why are we outside talking when we could be inside and finding out the plan."

"Oh. Yeah let's go do that." Cali said, her and Sarge turning to walk inside.

 **And that was the second to last chapter of California Chronicles. Short story, I know. If any of you have guessed what Cali never told North, be free to leave a suggestion. Also, you may recognize the creature Archon manifests as if you've lived for more than ten years. I want to announce here that Pacific Rim: Smoke and Mirrors will be replacing California Chronicles when it has ended, which will not be that long. I recently was dragged into this Fandom by the fanfic Pacific Rim: New Chance, as I say in the first chapter, a Bio of main and recurring characters as well as the Introduction/Prologue is the first upload for that story. Anyway, you may be wandering what the whole mental attack was. I added that because not only it meant I could add all the AI into the story, but set up a subplot for the big story that these mini-projects will lead up too. The mental attack impacts the story more than you think. How did you like dealing with seeing Cali be broken and exposed to the world like a raw wound in salt water? Oh, and just real quick, what musical group's initials do 'Now' 'Wash' and 'Archon' make? Word count: 5,178**


	5. Chapter 4: The End Part II

**Hey guys Price here and welcome to the last chapter of California Chronicles. This is the finale for this mini-story, but only the first part in the larger Project Freelancer series. In this chapter, we find out some secrets about Cali, and what she never told North. I won't spoil it, but I will say that it may or not be a shock...who knows. Anyway, I'd like to announce that I am going to put off my old stories until both the Taken King and Volume 3 respectively to write some other stories in the AvP, Jurassic World, and Pacific Rim fandoms, titled Pacific Rim: Smoke and Mirrors, AvP: Honor vs Loyalty, and Jurassic World: (title pending). This is because, as I state every time I make a new and unexpected story, I have so many ideas from being inspired by fanfics I've read and I just** ** _have_** **to get them out. I hope you like this story's conclusion, and I hope you like this series. Anyway, onto the story!**

"So uh...this is fun." Cali said, standing in between and behind Grif and Simmons, who were once again having a 'Why Are We Here' talk.

"Huh? Oh, yeah whatever Cali. Cool." Grif said, employing the same tactic he used on Simmons when he wasn't listening.

"You do realize that, no offense to Simmons, but I, along with 'Lina and Wash are smarter than all of you, and that's saying something because Simmons is really smart, like, 170 IQ smart." Cali said, Grif turning around.

"...Is that good?" He asked, Simmons looking at Cali quietly, as if he liked being praised.

"Einstein smart." She answered, Grif looking at her silently.

"Who's Einstein?" He asked suddenly, Cali mimicking him and staring at him quietly, pretending to be dumbfounded by his stupidity.

"You just made everyone in this canyon dumber with that comment. Everyone here, is now dumber because of you." She said, Simmons torn between stepping in for his friend and earning more praise.

"Guys! Get in here! Church and Carolina need to talk!" Wash shouted, everyone turning and walking in.

After arriving in the Simulation Room, Tucker spoke up.

"Let me get this straight, you built an enormous room capable of creating realistic holographic simulations, but you couldn't figure out how to walk across the canyon and capture our flag." Tucker said, Cali shrugging the thought off since she didn't know much about their history, only the details deemed important by them, the Reds and Blues all gathering at the center of the Holographic Chamber.

"Actually, Lopez built it." Grif said, everyone coming to a stop, Tucker putting his sword away.

"Okay, now that I believe." Tucker said, Cali merely watching from between Wash and Carolina in case things got heated between Tucker and Carolina.

"And if you recall we did manage to capture your flag. So you know, suck it Blue." Simmons said, Cali becoming interested, but waiting to ask after Church and 'Lina spoke.

"Oh yea, well our team has most kills." Caboose retorted, Cali immediately knowing it to be untrue

"Team kills don't count bluetard." Sarge retorted back, Caboose stuttering for a retort.

"You don't make the rules!" He finally said, Wash turning to them.

"Technically Project Freelancer makes the rules, and I say Blue team gets to add my kill count to theirs." Wash said, Grif's head moving as if he was rolling his eyes.

"Lame." Grif said, Cali not wanting to intervene, since she didn't know hardly anything about what they were conversing about.

"Listen up." Carolina said, everyone turning to face her. "We've got big news." She said, Caboose gasping.

"You and Wash are going to take your relationship to the next level? I knew it. The writing was all over the wall." He said, Cali looking at him, then between Wash and Carolina, Wash shrugging, clearly not sure what he was talking about either.

"No." Church spoke up, everyone turns again. Church in his human sized form running up in the way he would look when he was a "ghost". "We've found the Director." He said, turning into a solid form.

"Church, you're big again! What has she been feeding you?" Caboose asked, Cali once again looking at him questioningly.

"You know where the Director's been hiding?" Wash asked, Cali not noticing what they had said until he spoke, too busy wondering how the Sim Troopers could be so stupid.

"That's right." Carolina confirmed, Cali immediately looking at Wash for a reaction.

"He's holed up in one of his off-site storage facilities. Similar to the ones we've seen before." Church said, three images of the facility popping up on the wall.

"Like the one Tex beat the crap out of you guys in." Cali said, everyone looking at her.

"You weren't even there!" Grif said, surprised she knew about it.

"No, but FILSS sent me the recording." Cali said, everyone looking at Church. "And how do you get beat into submission with your own body?" She asked, Church looking away, Carolina starting the previous conversation back up.

"But we have no idea what kind of modifications the Director may have made to the compound over the last few years." Carolina added, Cali smiling under her helmet as close ups of the facility are shown.

"Or if he has any kind of security with him." Church added, Cali noticing Tucker's hand twitch to his sword handle.

"Essentially, we need to be ready for anything. So, lets go over the plan." Carolina summarized, Cali turning to her in surprise.

"What plan?" Tucker asked, Cali seconding his question.

"The plan to take down the Director."Church explained, Grif and Simmons sharing a glance as Cali looks towards Wash.

"Uh, I thought the plan was that we help you find the Director." Grif said, Cali noticing the rest of the Reds and Blues were uncomfortable.

"Yea, and now we've found him. Good job everyone. Way to hustle out there." Simmons said, Cali chuckling lightly.

"The plan changed." Carolina said, Cali turning to look at her.

"COP?" she asked, everyone but Wash looking at her.

"Uh, what?" Tucker asked, Cali turning to him.

"COP. Change Of Plans." She explained, everyone 'oh'ing and turning back to Carolina.

"So then what exactly is the plan?" Wash asked, voicing the question everyone was thinking.

"Infiltrate the facility and neutralize all hostiles." Carolina answered, Cali suspicious about the Reds' and Blues' parts.

"Right, what's our plan though?" Grif asked, Cali afraid of where 'Lina would take it.

"That is your plan. I'm counting on all of you." Carolina answered, clearly growing frustrated.

"But you said we're the worst soldiers you've ever met! And you're right! You're very perceptive." Grif said, clearly also suspicious if her motives, or just surprised she trusted them that much.

"Look! I just need enough time to get to the Director." Carolina said, Cali inwardly groaning at how Carolina planned the attack.

"So then we're just a distraction?" Wash asked, Cali mentally shaking her head, already knowing the answer.

"No, Wash, you're on lock duty. I need you with me." Carolina said, shaking her head and noticing Cali clenching her fists. "But California can stay with them. We won't need her."

"Wow. Oh. My God. I can't believe you just said that." Cali said, both insulted and surprised she had called her California.

"What?" Carolina asked, clearly not seeing the problem was.

"You just basically called these people cannon fodder. And then you had the balls to call me cannon fodder too." Cali said, taking off her helmet and tossing it down, covering her mouth with her hand and dropping it.

"Um, we have to fight all the bad guys by ourselves?" Caboose asked, the only one still curious about the plan.

"Forget that." Tucker said, shaking his head.

"Yea, Carolina, maybe I should stick with the others-" Wash started, getting the conversation back on track.

"Leave personnel decisions to me, Agent Washington!" Carolina interrupted, Cali noting how similar it was to a sentence the Director had used when Carolina had asked for two AI Fragments.

"Look, will you guys quit complaining and do something for once?" Church asked, Cali balking at how Church was treating his friends.

"Son, are you forgetting we saved your sorry ghost butt from the military?" Sarge asked, Cali just snapping her fingers and standing behind a holographic pillar.

"Yea, we almost died trying to find you!" Simmons said, Cali mentally having a nervous and anger-fueled breakdown.

"Oh boo hoo. Why don't you come back when you're on your second or third life; then we'll compare notes." Church suddenly stated, Cali sitting down behind the pillar and clutching her head.

"Wow. Bump off Blue." Grid said, Cali smirking at how she imagined Church must be surprised, Grif turning and beginning to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Carolina asked him, Grif turning to look at her.

"I'm going home." He explained, even though he technically was, continuing to leave, Church calling after him.

"Oh that's great Grif! We can always count on you to duck out when there is work to do!" Church shouted

"Well you can count me out, too." Sarge said, Carolina turning to him in surprise.

"What?" Carolina asked, Cali shaking her head roughly and standing up, making the pillar disappear and putting her helmet back on.

"Don't get me wrong, busting into a military base on a rescue mission is a lot of fun. But I'm not getting turned into Swiss cheese just so the two of you can finish some personal vendetta. This ain't our fight." Sarge replied, Cali walking from behind the pillar, walking towards the ramp when Carolina noticed her.

"And where are you going, Agent California?" Carolina asked, Cali sighing.

"I'm going to take my pills." She answered, everyone turning towards her.

"She takes pills? What for?" Grif asked, Simmons looking at him.

"For her Manic-Depressive Disorder and PTSD." Simmons told him, Cali visibly surprised that he had read her medical report.

"Wait...what?" Tucker asked.

"Oh, her Sporadic Insanity and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Plus they keep the AI Fragments at bay." Simmons explained, Cali nodding and walking away and up the ramp, walking back in a few minutes later and rolling her shoulders. "But they also make her more aggressive in order to balance the fact they are designed to make her less active, and therefore less of a threat, but the rage lasts a lot longer." He added, Grif gulping. But, anyway, back to the subject at hand. What did you say again Sarge?"

"That I wasn't going to be turned into Swiss cheese just so those two can finish a personal vendetta, and that it ain't our fight." Sarge answered, Simmons nodding.

"Right. Took the words right out of my mouth, sir." He said, Cali standing back in the middle of them.

"Both of you, be quiet!" Carolina shouted, Cali tensing, causing Grif, Tucker, Sarge, and Simmons to back away a little.

"Dude, this is bull crap." Tucker said, Cali nodding lightly.

"Tucker!" Church shouted, surprised.

"Be quiet! That's an order!" Carolina shouted, Tucker turning to her.

"Well guess what psycho, I don't take orders from you anymore!" Tucker retorted, slapping his hips in a 'v' as if to prove his point.

"Well, what about now?" Carolina asked him, raising her rifle, Washington aiming his pistol at her and Cali aiming her SMG's.

"Don't do that." Wash said. Carolina turning her head to look at him.

"Wash, what are you doing?" She asked, Cali taking a step forward.

"Protecting my friends. Now lower the weapon." Wash said, him and Cali both knowing she couldn't move fast enough to dodge their shots at this range.

"You're siding with them?" Carolina asked him, lowering her rifle.

"Wash, I don't understand. We found the director! We can make him pay! This is what we wanted!" Church proclaimed, Cali shaking her head, Wash lowering his pistol while Cali kept hers aimed at Carolina, knowing full well she was capable of taking advantage of his lack of caution in her current mental state.

"All I want is for you to leave. I've already been responsible for enough of their problems in the past, and I'll let Tucker sod me before I let you cause any more." Washington said, Tucker looking at him questioningly.

"Never took you as that kind of guy David." Cali said, Tucker agreeing.

"Just about everyone in Project Freelancer had someone. You had North, South had Connie for about a few weeks, You had Maine when you got drunk that one time, and 'Lina had York, plus almost everyone else had someone. People get desperate when they're surrounded by lovers and have no one." He said, walking over to the Reds and Blues, who stood a few feet away by now, who all looked at Carolina and Church.

"So that's it? You're just going to turn your back on us?" Church asked, his anger beginning to show in his voice.

"Epsilon, I know that I-" Wash attempted, being interrupted by Church.

"No, you're right. I guess I should have seen that one coming. It's not exactly like you're new to the concept, is it?" Church asked, Cali getting more and more surprised as the conversation went on.

"That's a little harsh." Sarge said, Church turning to the Reds and Blues in frustration.

"But you guys, after all the crap you put me through I really thought you would have my back!" Church shouted angrily, Cali visibly surprised.

"Us? What the hell did we ever do?" Grif asked, Cali looking at him as if surprised.

"You shot me through the head! You put a bomb in my gut!" He shouted, beginning to grow as he becomes more angry.

"You killed me with my own freaking tank, and that's just how we met!" He shouted, growing to nearly five times his normal height, everyone staring up at him in shock.

"Church, calm down! What's your problem?" Tucker asked, Cali looking at him slightly.

"You're my problem! You've always been my problem! Each and every one of you is just a problem that I have to deal with on a daily basis!" He shouts, "basis" echoing throughout the chamber. Disgusted and hurt, Tucker leaves the room.

"Guys..." Church said, beginning to revert back to his normal size, Sarge nodding to both Grif and Simmons and the three leave the chamber, angry at Church.

"Guys, wait a minute." Church said, suddenly looking over at Caboose. A few feet away from the , Washington looks over at Caboose.

"Caboose..." Church said sadly, Caboose choosing not to respond to him, then backs up and quietly leaves the chamber, turning his back on Carolina and Epsilon.

"Forget it Church, we don't need them." Carolina said, Wash looking at her.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Carolina, but you better figure out the difference between your enemies and your friends." Wash said, leaving the chamber empty aside from Church, Carolina, and Cali, who merely shook her head and walked out.

"Cali...please. Listen." Church said, Cali able to detect the sorrow and anger at himself in his voice, but merely turned to him.

"I've been called a slut. I've been called weak. I've been called stupid and brash. But you? You guys just took it to another level. While they may not be good soldiers, 'Lina, they are by far better than you. Maybe not in skill, but they don't turn on their friends. That's the difference between them and the Freelancers. They always have each other's back. They don't lie. They don't steal. They don't need all the fancy equipment we do. And, most importantly, they don't tear each other to pieces over being better than each other. When someone is better, they acknowledge, and move on. I never cared about the Leaderboard. I just wanted to take you down a notch. You needed it, and you still do. You need to know that not everything goes perfectly. There are variables even a Smart AI can't account for! AI make the mistake of thinking soldiers follow orders and will do what they are told, and that's true for some. But the ones who don't? The AI can just as easily write them off as cannon fodder as they can calculate the total losses. It's what Archon was made for, to take apart and piece back together every variable possible in that particular soldier, then move on to the next, so the AI can either predict what they will do, or write them off as unpredictable. The ones who follow orders at all costs are called machines. The ones who don't are called Human. We both know Tex was a machine, but she wore her heart on her sleeve, and you will always be more of one than she ever will." Cali finished, Carolina looking away.

"I just want to finish this. Make the Director pay for what he did." Carolina said, Cali sighing.

"I know, but what do you really want? You say you want to kill him, but you don't. You want closure. You want, no you need to know why he did it. You need to know why he did what he did, why he pitted us against each other. But, most importantly, you need to know why he made her, and whether you can live with yourself for hating her. While you may have hated her, all she wanted was to protect you. To avenge you. And, most importantly, to teach you to know how to live your life without the suit, and without the Project or the fight." Cali said, Carolina obviously becoming more and more unsure.

"Wait, why exactly does being called a slut affect you?" Church asked, obviously the only one curious about it.

"My mother could never have afforded to give me a proper education without it." Cali said, Church and Carolina looking down.

"When I found out, it kept me up at night. I wondered if my dad knew, I wondered if it was more for her pleasure and gain, but I mostly thought it was for my own good. I knew she hated it, but no one would hire her. It was the only way we could survive." She added, shrugging and walking up the ramp.

"She has a point." Carolina said, Church looking at her. "About everything. I do need to know why. I do need to know if I can live with myself. And she's right about the soldiers. They don't need what we do. They are better than us. They always were. There was a time when I would do anything for my friends. Now? I don't even know if I can call them friends, the ones that are still alive.

After a few hours, a motivational speech from Doc, and stealing some Falcons from some UNSC personnel, the Reds, Blues, Wash, and Cali followed Carolina and Church.

After arriving, Sarge once again beat F.I.L.S.S. with a shotgun blast to the monitor and they walked inside, quickly finding where Carolina was battling the Tex drones, Donut defeating three with the sticky grenades he always carried by sticking the bombs to the drones' heads. Cali immediately pulled out her tomahawks and attached them to a mount that kept them in place so she could fire her smg's and swing them at the same time, quickly defeating multiple Tex drones and, noticing Carolina was too busy firing at the largest congregation of Tex drones to notice that four had gotten past the firing line and were charging her from behind, she put away her tomahawks and attaching one smg, then grabbed a knife from Wash's hip and threw it, hitting one in the visor and shooting the other three down before Carolina had even turned.

"Welcome." She said, nodding and turning to stab another Tex drone with her tomahawk and shooting it in it's head.

Suddenly, Wash shouted for them to form into a circle, Caboose continuing to charge through the ranks of the Tex drones and sending them flying. They formed up as ordered, and began to eliminate more Tex drones as Church suddenly entered the server connecting each Tex drone, eventually disabling them all a minute later.

"Couldn't you have done that sooner?" Grif asked, Church turning to him.

"He could have, but then you wouldn't have been punched in the dick. We can't be breaking tradition now can we?" Cali answered, Grif murmuring something and looking away.

"Ok, let's go get the director." Sarge said, pumping his shotgun and earning a stare from Cali, Wash, Carolina, and Church.

"No, this is something they need to do alone." Wash said, Carolina, Church, and Cali nodding and walking into another teleporter, coming out adjacent from a big door.

"This is it." Cali said, Carolina looking at her and putting a hand on her shoulder, Cali looking at her and doing the same.

"Let's finish this." Carolina said, the three of them walking in, the Director sitting in a chair watching some old video. "Hello, Director."

"Hello, Agent Carolina. Would you like to watch this file with me?" He asked, Cali seeing that it was Allison in the file.

"No." Carolina replied, Cali instead watching it while leaning against the wall to hide her headache from her memories.

"Play it again, FILSS." The Director ordered, Cali wondering how many times he had watched it.

"Director?" FILSS questioned, obviously concerned.

"Again!" The Director ordered, more loudly, slamming his fist into the arm of his chair.

"So, this is what you've become?" Carolina said, Cali becoming more and more unsure whether she would have to intervene.

"I just need to watch this. I think I have a way... a way to bring her back right this time." The Director said, lowering his head in sadness.

"The authorities are hunting you now. If I found you, they will too." Carolina said, Cali pushing off from the wall and walking closer to Carolina.

"I just need a bit more time." The Director said, his comment angering Church.

Epsilon appears and floats over to the Director.

"No! You've had your freaking time. You have to answer for what you did. To the Meta, to Washington, to Carolina, to me and to her! To Texas!" Church shouted, Cali's hand flicking towards her smg nervously, a move not seen by the others.

"Hello, Epsilon. You came all this way just to see me?" The Director asked, Carolina softening her stance as she realized how broken the man she had trusted only years before had become.

"And he who flyeth to close to the Sun shall fall like Icarus, his memory lost to all but those told his story." Cali said, recalling something a member of her squad had always said, the phrase meaning 'The man that gets caught up in a moment and believes themselves greater than those around them shall eventually be lost to time, and will only be remembered by those told about him', or that was how Vasquez had always explained it, her comment earning her a glance of agreement from Carolina, who understood what she was saying.

"I'm here to remember what you've done. Somebody has to!" Church said angrily, Cali and Carolina both taking a step forward. Carolina to reproach Church and Cali to use her weapons if she had to.

"Church..." Carolina said sadly, Cali noticing how all of her resolve had vanished the moment she had found the Director.

"Not all of us got off scott free, Carolina." Church said, beginning to change into different AI Fragments of the Alpha, gaining their glows and most known characteristics. "He was brilliant..." Church said, gaining the glow and calcuolatory voice of Delta. "...and we trusted him." He continued, gaining the glow and characteristic childish voice of Theta, the sound of fireworks in the background of his voice. "But he lied to us. He twisted..." He continued, gaining the glow and glitchy voice of Gamma, Cali surprised visibly by his changing. "...and tortured us, and used us!" He shouted, gaining the glow and menacing voice of Omega, Cali feeling the subroutine of Lambda inside her head tense. "Manipulated us for his own purposes, and for what? For this? This...shadow?!" He asked angrily, Cali stiffening and getting ready to rebuke him, but being stopped with a jolt of pain from Lambda's subroutine, who was obviously advising against it, Epsilon-Church beginning to change back to his normal blueish glow. "He needs to pay." He finished, the pain in Cali's head disappearing, Cali using her moment of freedom to her advantage.

"Hey, Church?" She asked, Church turning to face her.

"What?" He asked, Cali walking up to his AI avatar.

"Tex may be a shadow, but we both know how she reacted the last time someone called her that around her. Rhodes actually lost a finger." She said, Church gulping and nodding muttering that it was a heat-of-the-moment word choice.

Suddenly, Carolina removes her helmet and stares at the Director. The Director then removes his glasses and hesitantly looks up at Carolina, revealing he has the same green eyes as her.

"And, don't worry, you'll see me again." Allison said on the video playing on the monitor, Cali realizing this must be the last time Leonard Church had seen her, Carolina continuing to stare at the Director, and seems to become sadder with every second she looks at him. She leans down, and kisses him softly on the forehead.

"Just a bit more time." The Director said quietly, Cali feeling sorry for him herself.

"Come on, Church. We're leaving." Carolina said, Church visibly surprised by this.

"I thought we came all this way to kill him." Church said, Cali leaning on her right leg, allowing her left hip to be more defined than her right.

"Church, remember what you learned in the memory unit? You need to let go. Your past doesn't define who you are. It just gives you the starting point for who you're going to be." Carolina said, Cali bumping in.

"Actually, I came here to stop you guys, but it's pretty clear I don't need to." Cali said, Church turning to her, but deciding to leave it until they left, Carolina turning and beginning to leave, but the Director puts out his arm, stopping her.

"Agent Carolina?" The Director asked her, Cali feeling her eyes begin to water as she realized what he was going to ask her.

"Yes, Director?" Carolina asked, obviously knowing what he was going to ask.

"Would you be so kind as to leave me your pistol?" He asked her, Carolina removing her pistol from her holster and placing it on the Director's desk. "Thank you, Carolina." He said, Cali's breath hitching quietly.

"Goodbye, Sir." Carolina said quietly, leaving the room, leaving just Epsilon, Cali, and the Director alone.

"You were my greatest creation." The Director suddenly said, Cali smiling sadly.

"I don't know what I am, but I do know this - I'm more than just a copy of you. I'm better than you." Church said, Cali losing her sad demeanor and mentally scolding him for ruining the sad moment.

"I wasn't speaking to you." The Director said, Epsilon leaving the room, leaving the Director sitting alone with Cali.

"Sir, if I may." Cali said, taking her data pad off and turning into camera mode. "Alex always wanted a picture of you smiling." She said, the Director nodding and turning to her, wiping his eyes and smiling lightly, Cali taking the picture and downloading it to the memory stick she had in a crevice on her leg armor. "He looked up to you, you know. North would have been proud." She said, the Director merely nodding. "Thanks for letting me leave." She said, extending her hand for a polite handshake, the Director shaking it and smiling again.

"I wish I could have met him. He sounds like a good kid." He said, Cali nodding and taking off her helmet.

"Please sir, allow me to make your choice easier." She said, unable to see the man she had always had talks with when she had felt unstable after implantation like this.

"You may, Ciara." He said, Cali gently and shakily picking up Carolina's pistol, aiming it and, after a few seconds of hesitation, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger, the bang resonating throughout the building, Carolina pausing in her walk as she heard it, Cali catching up with her as they walked out of the portal, Cali stopping and walking back through to make sure, grabbed what she had dropped, and walked out, halfway to the exit when she felt the rush of wind as someone charged her from behind, Carolina turning and pausing in her shock as a somehow operational Tex drone grabbed Cali's tomahawk off her forearm and plunged it into her stomach, grabbing the other one and threw it into her shoulder, Cali falling back against the ground the painstakingly grabbed her smg and firing it, killing the Tex drone as Carolina rushed over, Cali rerouting Lambda's subroutine into her flash drive she had Lambda stored in, completing him.

"Cali? Come on Cali, stay with me!" Carolina shouted, her voice attracting Wash, who has been outside the teleporter, walking through when he heard something come from it, dropping to his knees as he saw the scene before him.

"Hey, 'Lina? Do me a favor, will ya?" She asked, her helmet rolling off and behind her.

"What?" Carolina asked, her voice breaking as she realized she wasn't able to save Cali without a medic, something they didn't have.

"Take this to Alex, will ya? He always wanted a picture of Leonard smiling. Also, give him L'. Just make sure he knows not to break the encryption until he joins the military, or never open it at all, because I want him to open it, but he needs to have a way to use it other than as a source of information and someone to talk to. Oh, and tell him he has permission to upgrade my armor as he sees fit. My ODST outfit, of course, not this one, unless he joins another project similar to this. Just...pay him a visit every now and then, will ya? He needs someone to talk to." Cali said, handing Carolina the flash drive, her data pad, and a picture of her and North side by side and an arm around each other, both of them laughing at some unseen thing.

"Sure thing, Cali. I'll do my best." Carolina said, bowing her head as Cali's final breath left her body, Carolina going about the duty of collecting her armor and bodysuit, and walked out with Wash carrying her body, the Reds and Blues paying their individual respects and everyone staring up in surprise as a Pelican descended, some soldiers rushing out and escorting them into it, the group flying up and to a ship, Carolina and Wash requesting they visit Earth before they dropped the Reds and Blues off at Blood Gulch, or maybe Valhalla, or whichever one Church had in mind, Wash and Carolina both agreeing to stay with them.

###

Carolina and Wash drove up in the Warthog they had borrowed from the military base just a klick south, walked up and knocked on the door to a normal house in the middle of the country, with only a bike and a civilian-style Warthog in the driveway, a woman in her mid to late twenties. Cali's sister.

"We're here to see Alex, is he here?" Wash asked, the woman obviously not knowing who they were but allowing them in when they mentioned Alex and her sister and brother.

"He's not in trouble, is he?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes.

"No...why would he be?" Wash asked, the woman merely shrugging and saying she didn't know, and that she was just being cautious. "Did something happen to Ciara?" The woman asked, Carolina hesitating before nodding, the woman gasping lightly and walking down a hallway, Carolina and Wash sitting at the kitchen table, uncomfortable with the way this was going, having hoped to make it short but caring, so they could make sure that the Reds and Blues didn't accidentally blow up the ship and kill everyone on it,

After a few seconds, Alex came running excitedly into the living room, disappointment spreading on his face as he realized his mother wasn't there with them, instead noticing that they were Carolina and Wash, people his mother knew, so he walked over to them and sat down.

"Hey guys. Where's my mother? Is she making sure the Reds and Blues don't blow up the ship and will come when you return?" He asked, Carolina smiling and noticing Alex's aunt standing in the doorway, her lip trembling.

"Why don't you ask David here. I'll be right back, so try not to bother him too much, he has been pretty stressed lately, what with the Reds and Blues nearly causing a Supernova by accidentally launching the ship towards the Sun, but we turned it around in time. I will be right back, and David will answer your questions for a few minutes." Carolina said, patting Alex on the shoulder and walking over to his aunt, wrapping an arm around her and walking over to the living room, Alex noticing when some Marines brought two armor stands in, the first holding Cali's ODST outfit, the second holding her MJONIR armor.

"Why are they bringing in my mother's armor?" Alex asked Wash, who hesitated just long enough to give Alex the answer he needed. "She isn't coming back, is she?" He asked, Carolina looking over from the living room in time to see Alex's eyes start to water, surprised when he merely stood up and walked upstairs, which is when she noticed the armor.

"Was it painless?" Alex's aunt, who had identified herself as Clair, asked her, Carolina hesitating.

"I wish it could have been. After everything she went through...she deserved it." Carolina said, obviously meaning a quick and painless death. "But no. She bled out with her own tomahawks imbedded in her stomach and right shoulder." Carolina added, Clair nodding and standing up, walking upstairs to comfort Alex, Carolina following.

"Alex, 'Lina wants to talk with you for a minute." Clair said, the door opening and Carolina walking in.

"You know, there was a time when me and your mother trusted each other to the point of where, when fighting, we both knew what the other would do. One time, I tried to out smart her, but that didn't end well as I wound up with a few broken ribs. She was very hard to out smart." Carolina said, Alex nodding absently. "Hey. Don't let this hold you down for too long. I know she's your mother, but she wouldn't want you to wallow in your self pity." Carolina added, Alex turning on her.

"What would you know about losing the ones you cared about?" He asked, Carolina sighing.

"Just like you, I lost my mother at a young age. After the Project failed, I lost so many of my friends and loved ones. I lost your uncle James, designation New York, your father, John, designation North Dakota, and some others. I let my hate for the Director and my desire for revenge cloud my judgement and, eventually, I realized I was pushing the friends I still had away. When you let your emotions rule over your actions, nothing food can come of it." Carolina finished, Alex looking away sadly.

"Sorry." He said, Carolina smiling and tussling his hair.

"Oh. She also asked me to give you this." Carolina said suddenly, pulling the flash drive from a pocket. "And this." She added, handing him Cali's data pad, the photo of the Director smiling pulled up when he turned it on, making Alex smile.

"What's on the drive?" Alex asked her, Carolina smiling. You'll have to find out if or when you join the military. Code is Rebirth. Not sure why though." Carolina answered, standing up and turning to walk out, then turning and looking at him. "I'll try and visit you whenever I can, but don't expect it to be too often, Wash can't handle both teams on his own for so long." She added, walking out.

###

Years later, Alex was on shore leave from the ODST's, having been allowed to use his mother's white and red armor color for his ODST armor, which was his mothers and just recolored. As he stood up to grab his mother's data pad from the couch across from him, he heard a knock at his door. Walking over and answering it, he was surprised to see someone he didn't recognize, but probably should.

"Alex Velazquez? May I come in?" The man asked, Alex nodding and stepping out of the way.

"Is there something wrong?" Alex asked, worried, considering that both Wash and Carolina hadn't visited him like they had promised, but he had managed to find out they had just recently gotten off of Chorus, and didn't know he had joined the ODST's yet.

"No. I just have one question for you." The man answered, sitting down, Alex noting the flow of assurance coming from the man, like he knew what Alex's answer would be.

"Okay..." Alex said, setting his eyes to what his friends called "Murder Mode" because of what he usually did after setting them like that on the battlefield. "Shoot."

 **And that was the ending of California Chronicles. I hope you guys enjoyed the story and I apologize about the shortness, but the rest of these mini-stories will be about as short as this one, except for the last one, which will be somewhere between ten and twenty chapters, like most of my main stories plan to be. The next mini-story will be Project Freelancer: Failure, which I talked about in the prologue, and then will come the direct sequel to this story Project Freelancer: Hellfire(or Rebirth, both titles are allowed and will be switched out every so often in Author's Notes, so the story can be called either). Anyway, I hope you guys like the little reference to the ending of Halo 2 at the end. Again, I'm sorry the story is so short but...yeah, can't always have what you want. Originally, this story was supposed to be one big one, instead of multiple short ones leading to a big one, but I like the second choice better. I may update this every so often with short little events and stuff that happened to Alex while in the ODST's and learning of how his mother shaped the events that led to his enlistment with her ODST comrades helping him along the way. So, I hope you liked the story, because I had a fun time writing it, and I hope you have enough patience for me to finish my other stories before starting a Project Freelancer spree where I begin working on the mini-stories leading to the big one. Oh, forgot to mention, but Cali did know Allison when she was alive, and they fought together for a few battles, which Failure will include one or two of them, and Cali will make an appearance, but won't be the main character. Also, originally, I was gonna have Cali and Maine be lovers, but realized that would never work so changed it. Again, have patience, and it will be rewarded in the form of a Project Freelancer series spree. And I will list the order of which you should read these stories in the Project Freelancer series on my page when I start on Hellfire/Rebirth, and Failure should be first, as it explains how Cali knows so much about Allison. Word Count: 6,638**


End file.
